With thousands of open jobs, Lynchburg employers and job seekers alike are looking for ways to connect. The new LYH Jobs Portal, part of the Hire Lynchburg initiative, is a new tool to aid in that process.
What Does the Job Market Look Like?
While we aren’t in a ‘post-pandemic’ world yet, we are in a state of economic recovery. Historical data shows us that this time will have ups and downs, but overall we are on an upward trend! At the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment in LYH hit just over 12%. As of July, it has fallen to 5.0%. While this is good news, it still means that we have many open positions within our City and region.
Since March of 2020, over 6,000 people have left the regional workforce, due to issues with the pandemic, retirement and remote work opportunities. This means that we have a gap to fill; on average there are over 1500 full and part-time jobs advertised each month! We are diving deep into the ‘whys’ behind these trends, so that our office is better able to assist local employers and job seekers to continue the upward economic trends.
We hear on a weekly basis from employers that there are issues with workforce. Whether that’s finding qualified workers, having adequate training, or figuring out where to advertise available jobs. LYH Jobs Portal is how the Office of Economic Development & Tourism can help employers and citizens. This Jobs Portal is a streamlined tool that gathers all data in one place, without having to log-in or create an account. This is not to replace or duplicate services that already exist; it is designed to complement and bolster those existing services, and we refer those needing additional assistance in job searching and supportive services to community partners.
For Job Seekers
If you have had to look for a job in recent years, you know how confusing it can be. Different websites have different postings; sometimes the postings are live and sometimes they’re months old; sometimes you have to create an account or pay money or talk to someone just to sign up. In other words, looking for a job can be a job in itself. The LYH Jobs Portal is designed to streamline all of that. The portal is fed by constantly updated data from Chmura/Jobs EQ and pulls from over 900 different sites (and we’re always adding more!) to bring you the most efficient way to look for a job in the LYH area. If you know a company or specified field you want to apply for, you can search for that. If you’re unsure, you can use keywords or even just ‘browse all’ and scroll through to see the amazing opportunities! If you need extra assistance or have questions, not to worry. We’ll help you connect with our local Central VA Career Works and community partners to make sure you have the best possible chance at success.
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For Employers
When you’re looking to advertise available positions, it can be hard to determine the best places to do so. If you have positions listed on your website or elsewhere online that you don’t see listed through this tool, please let us know, and we can be sure to add those. This tool is meant to be ever-evolving to meet the needs of our local business community. If you want to advertise through local channels, we are also happy to connect you with our local Virginia Workforce Connection representatives who can help get the word out about your available openings.
Questions?
We are so excited to offer this tool to employers and job seekers alike! Please utilize it and continue to reach out to us with feedback and questions. It is a dynamic tool that we want to continuously improve upon. Contact us HERE.