Oct. 14—New Hampshire's record low unemployment hasn't kept Peter Aiello from sending out upward of 20 resumes a week for jobs in "the software space."
The Manchester 30-something has submitted "far north of 100, but I've lost count at this point," he said while taking a break from a virtual job fair this month.
Another job seeker admitted he wasn't likely to replace his $36 an hour job in the wastewater industry.
The 58-year-old man from Northfield acknow-ledged he suffered from "a mismatch in skills" between what he could do and what employers wanted.
Even during a season of record low unemployment, not everyone is finding a landing spot, though plenty of people are changing jobs for various reasons, including filling their wallets.
"Because people are still looking for more money like they have been to keep up with inflation, people are still leaving jobs," said Barry Roy, regional president at Robert Half, a staffing agency with three New Hampshire offices.
"There's still a bit of a war on talent for employers," Roy said.
Pay raises are "still happening, but I think they're slowing a little," Roy said.
About two in three people surveyed nationally said they planned to ask for a raise before year's end, according to a survey by Robert Half out this month.
Granite State private-sector workers earned an average wage of $33.74 per hour in June, according to a report from the state's Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau.
That compared to $32.19 the previous year and $30.93 in 2021, said economist Greg David, who wrote the report.
"Wage growth has been relatively high since the start of the pandemic, although since early 2021, elevated inflation has diluted real wage gains," the report said.
Both existing workers and those who swapped jobs "have received wage increases, but in general, workers changing jobs received larger wage increases than existing workers over the last couple years," David said.
A separate report by the Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau out last week said New Hampshire workers earned on average $31.45 an hour in June, about $2 lower than the other report's figure.
The lower average included public sector workers, which "is probably the biggest reason for the difference in these estimates," David said.
The Lebanon-Hanover area led the state at $37.01 an hour followed by Nashua-Derry at $34.51. Pelham, Portsmouth and Manchester followed. The lowest was $24.37 in the Conway-Wolfeboro area.
Average hourly wages for workers in the leisure and hospitality industry increased 19.7% over two years, from $17.95 an hour in June 2021 to $21.48 in June 2023 "as the industry struggles to keep and attract workers in the face of increasing competition from higher-wage industries and perceptions that working conditions are less favorable in the industry," David's report said.
Mike Somers, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, said he is "not even surprised" by the nearly 20% wage hike over two years.
"That might be even low for some folks," Somers said. "Others, it'd probably be pretty close to right on."
"Folks still tell me they're struggling" to hire people, but it's not as difficult as the summer of 2022, he said.
"Wages will continue to increase just as a factor of competition in the market," he said.
Increases by category
The Manchester-Nashua area ranked third among the top 20 Northeastern metro areas for tech development behind greater Boston and Trenton-Princeton, N.J., according to a survey published by CommercialCafe, an online commercial real estate listing service.
The New Hampshire region finished fifth-highest for median earnings in tech, at $99,039 a year.
The area also had the second-highest ratio of tech employment opportunities among the 20 cities.
Weekly paychecks for workers in the professional and business service subsector grew by an average of 22% over two years, from $1,309 a week in June 2021 to $1,596 this past June. That was attributable to a 19% hike in the average hourly wage and a longer work week.
But not everyone benefited equally.
"Wage gains in professional and business services were primarily due to employment growth in a few highly paid subsectors, rather than high wage growth in a specific industry or for a specific occupation," David said.
"Subsectors with high wages ($2,500 to $3,000 per week) and high employment growth were computer systems design and related services, management, scientific, and technical consulting services, and scientific research and development service," he said in an email.
"Growth in these industries would most likely primarily include workers in computer science, biotech and consulting occupations."
Remote work
Remote work continues to be a driving issue for many job seekers.
"People are more adamant about wanting remote work and hybrid work" while leaders at her company want to bring people back to the office more often, said Aliza Nowak, talent acquisition specialist for F.H. Cann and Associates in Exeter.
Some fully remote roles have been filled by people living in Texas and Florida, she said.
Put Aiello, the Manchester job seeker, on that list.
"I'm looking for a remote or hybrid job," he said.
Aiello has gone through a couple of interviews that led to second interviews.
He is surprised it's taking so long to find a new job.
"It's hard to know exactly why you're not getting that job," he said, noting employers don't provide feedback on why someone misses the cut.
Even three years after the pandemic hit, Granite Staters are looking to improve their workspaces at home.
New Hampshire places sixth in the nation for the number of searches for property add-ons, such as home offices and home gyms, according to Contractor Growth Network, an internet marketing company for contractors.
"Searches are high for terms relating to 'home office' as locals look to create the perfect environment for remote working, studying, and more," the company said. "New Hampshire residents are also keen on developing a sauna, gym, bar and walk-in closet in their homes."
The Robert Half survey revealed 62% of people queried nationally would rather stay in a job with flexible working conditions than take a higher-paying position with a more rigid requirement for office work.
"People have gotten so comfortable working hybrid and working from home," but some companies are putting pressure on workers to return to the office, Roy said.
More people, he said, strive for a better "work-life balance" than they had before the pandemic.
Shrinking labor pool
Fewer New Hampshire residents are either working or actively looking for work after the pandemic than before — making hiring more difficult, according to another recent report from the state's Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau.
People 55 and older "continued to be a driver for the exodus from the labor force," the report said.
Between 2019 and 2022, the labor force decreased by 52,650 people. Of those who left, about three in every four were 55 or older. More than 43,000 who dropped out of the labor force decided to retire rather than go back to work.
In August, the labor force was 30,000 people smaller than in the same month in 2019.
Postal opportunities
Postal Service job fairs will take place this Saturday at about 10 post offices across the state, including Manchester and Milford. People also can apply online.
There are more than 50 job openings in about 15 communities across the state.
The positions include carriers, mail handlers, clerks and automotive technicians, according to spokesman Steve Doherty. Some clerk positions start at more than $26 an hour.
The starting pay was $19.33 an hour for a city carrier assistant, whether it was in Hanover or Pittsfield, according to the online job postings.
But a person buying a median home in Hanover would pay about $750,000 more than in Pittsfield — $1.13 million vs. $375,000, according to figures from the New Hampshire Realtors.
Collective bargaining agreements don't provide wage differentials for different areas, Doherty said previously.
The 56 job openings are "not exceptionally high, but the labor market is tough right now with unemployment under 2%," Doherty said.
mcousineau@unionleader.com
