With high gas prices, record inflation and fears of a recession looming, The Gainesville Sun caught up with Phyllis Marty, CEO of CareerSource of North Central Florida, and Eric Godet, president and CEO of the Greater Gainesville Chamber, to take a closer look at the economic impacts on the local labor market, which had a 2.8% unemployment rate for August 2022.
Here's what they have to say:
Q: Given inflation and the economy in recent weeks, what trends are you seeing in the local job market?
Eric Godet: Even though the nation might be feeling a recession, Florida really hasn't felt that yet just because so many of our local companies and employers are growing and expanding and have a greater need for talent than what's happening in the rest of the nation ... The largest constraint more than anything else is talent ... We tend to not have that impact the rest of the nation is having as quickly and it's usually not as severely, with the insulation of health care and education.
Phyllis Marty: We are seeing an increase in job postings, not only locally, but across the state. The trend for the majority of the postings is the need for specific skills. This is where the current issue of the talent skill gap is becoming apparent — employers need skilled talent, but the job seekers that are currently not employed either are low to no skills or are not looking for work. This is a need that CareerSource is partnering with local training providers to address through pilot programs for rapid industry credentials.
Changes in the area: Downtown Gainesville could soon make its 'streatery' scene permanent
On the mend: Staffing levels up as Gainesville restaurant industry continues to recover from pandemic
Now boarding: Gainesville Regional Airport operating at prepandemic levels, data show
Q: What is the labor outlook for the rest of the year?
Marty: A continued growth in jobs over the next three years, this is information directly from local major employers. One example is 136 current CNA/PCA positions growing to 300 by 2024 for one employer. Another example is 300 heavy diesel mechanics that will be hired at the U.S. Army Reserve Equipment Concentration Site.
Godet: I think this year we're going to be fine. We're still looking at companies talking about expanding, growing and hiring ... We're seeing a lot of outside groups looking at us as a desirable area. Many of the manufacturers and groups that work in the Northeast and Midwest are noticing that their customer base is shifting to the Southeast, and especially Florida as the fastest growing area for their customer base. So we are getting a lot of inquiries because they want to have a presence here. All of that is helping us stay above the fray ... I think we'll be fine through the end of the year, but I don't think anyone can predict what will happen next year.