Employers predict increase in total hires and wages from last summer encourage workers to start looking for jobs now.
Snagajob has announced results from its 2015 Summer Hiring Survey of 1,000 employers responsible for hiring hourly employees this summer, including those in the retail, hospitality and foodservice industries. Combined, these industries make up 44% of all summer youth employment, with employed youth (16-24-year-olds) increasing approximately 12% each year between the months of April and July, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Snagajob’s eighth-annual Summer Hiring Survey points toward strong job growth this summer season, with 78% of employers expecting to hire the same amount, or more, of summer employees as last year. Overall hourly wages look strong, too, with summer employers expected to pay an average of $11.52, up from last year’s predicted average pay of $10.39.
The survey, which can be viewed in its entirety by visiting Snagajob.com, identified the following trends happening right now in the hourly-hiring industry:
Summer jobs may not be a huge concern with America’s youth right now as they deal with final exams and graduation, but according to employers, 74% of all summer jobs will be filled by the end of May.
What’s with the attitude?
The most important characteristic employers look for in a summer employee is a positive attitude (40%), followed by schedule flexibility (23%), commitment to work the whole summer (19%) and previous experience (18%).
Stiff competition
Workers should expect stiffer competition this summer, with 85% of employers predicting to receive the same amount, or more, of job applications as last year.
Give ‘em a raise
Seventy-eight percent of employers agree minimum wage should be higher, with 65% saying an increase in minimum wage would help their business.
“Sick” days
Ninety-four percent of employers believe summer workers at some point call in “sick” to do a fun activity instead of working (who can blame them, it’s summer).
Also revealed in the survey is a divide between employers and younger workers with a mobile-first mentality. Only 54% of employers are posting jobs that can be applied to with a mobile device, yet Snagajob data shows that 56% of its job seekers are using a mobile device to find and apply for jobs versus a desktop computer.
“Summer hiring reveals a major disconnect between outdated employer recruiting methods and how younger workers are searching for jobs,” said Peter Harrison, Snagajob CEO. “Snagajob is working to solve this problem with mobile-hiring solutions, like our video apply feature which allows workers to create a 30-second video response to show their personality to an employer. Leveraging mobile technology will significantly shorten the amount of time and effort needed by both employer and worker to connect in meaningful ways.”
