Tuesday, data collected and analyzed by the Alabama Department of Labor’s Labor Market Information (LMI) Division shows that the most online wanted ads were for retail salespersons, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, and registered nurses.
6,583 ads were placed for those occupations in February. Alabama online ads increased by 16 percent from January with 15,314 of those being new ads.
The Help Wanted Online (HWOL) data is compiled from all online job postings in the state, including those posted on the state’s free online jobs database, www.joblink.alabama.gov, and other sources; such as traditional
job boards, corporate boards, and social media sites.
Retail salespersons earn a mean wage of $13.55 per hour, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn a mean wage of $19.99 per hour, and registered nurses earn a mean wage of $28.43 per hour.
Thirty-eight percent of job ads have salaries in the $50-79,000 range; 24% have salaries of $80,000 and above; 22% have salaries in the $30-49,000 range; and 16% have salaries of $30,00 or under.
“It’s encouraging to see 84% of the online job ads have wage ranges above $30,000 and more than half pay $50,000 or higher,” said Fitzgerald Washington, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Labor. “These are good paying jobs that will benefit Alabamians.”
The top three employers posting ads in February were: UAB Medicine (796), CVS Health (650), and McDonald’s (644). These were followed by Pizza Hut, Lowe’s, Baptist Health, Advance Auto Parts, Circle K, Jacob’s, and Domino’s to round out the top 10 employers with the most online ads.
Economic developer Nicole Jones told the Alabama Political Reporter, “Certain professions require a human element that cannot be completely replaced with technology; nursing, especially, comes to mind. Nurses are in high-demand both statewide and nationally. Community colleges and universities throughout Alabama have enhanced their programs to try to fill the labor shortage.”
Most of the ads were for retail salespersons.
Nicole Jones said, “Recently the Alabama Retail Association explained to us the significance of the economic impact of small retailers – especially in small towns that rely on their sales tax base. Retailers employ 1 in 4 of all private sector employees in Alabama, which equates to almost 400,000 Alabama residents.”
Truck driver is the second most in demand job.
Nicole Jones said, “It is no surprise that truckers are on this list. Distribution and Logistics is one of the state of Alabama’s targeted business sectors. Alabama remains a hub for distribution and transportation logistics both nationally and globally.”
The healthcare sector has enormous demand for people.
The Healthcare Industry is the focus of this month’s in-depth analysis by the LMI division. The top 5 occupations with the most online ads are registered nurses, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, nursing assistants, physical therapists, and personal care aides. 25 percent of those jobs only require a GED/High School diploma.
“We continue to see the importance of soft skills to employers,” continued Washington. “This is where our Career Centers come in. Alabama now has 50 Career Centers around the state that offer free services to jobseekers including job skill workshops, job searches, résumé preparation, and more.”
“We’d like to encourage anyone who needs a job, or wants a different job, to come into one of our Career Centers for assistance,” said Washington. “Our trained staff can assist you in obtaining the career you want.”
A listing of Career Centers can be found here.
