5 Notable Trends in Today's Competitive Job Market

If you're competing in today's competitive job market, there are five job trends that may affect how you define success and where your career may eventually lead.

1. According to research by the Employee Benefit Research Institute* (EBRI), people are working longer. This may be by necessity or design. Several reasons could be to save more for retirement or replenish investment portfolios that may have tanked during the recent recession. Other reasons may include health care costs, longer life expectancies and lower investment returns. Working to maintain health coverage can also be an additional incentive to work longer.
2. There will be jobs available that require specific skills. There is an anticipated need to fill gaps in occupations such as accounting, sales, welding and web development. Visit O*NET Online** for additional information about hiring trends for each of these and other professions of interest.
3. There will always be a certain number of people in the workforce who look for new employment for one reason or another. People can become bored with a position or become unhappy with their present employer. There are also a number of people who exit the workforce as they reach retirement age. Then there are those employees who are terminated. All three scenarios can create new job openings across numerous industries.
4. Companies are increasingly offering telecommuting job opportunities. According to data gathered from the Telework Research Network,*** 3.1 million people consider home as their primary place of work. The typical telecommuter is 49 years old, salaried, non-union and earns $58,000 a year.
5. Many people are beginning to realize the advantages of pursuing an online degree. Online learning allows them to get an education on their own terms.

If you're planning make a bigger impact in today's economy, it may be time to consider upgrading your education to give yourself an additional competitive edge. Everest University Online, a division of Everest University, offers online degree programs that allow you to earn your associate, bachelor's or master's degree in a variety of popular career fields.

Contact Everest University Online today to find out more about our programs and the benefits of earning your online degree with an accredited institution with Everest Online.

* Employee Benefit Research Institute's Workers' Pessimism About Retirement Deepens, Reflecting the ‘New Normal' (2011) (http://www.ebri.org)

** O*NET Online: http://www.onetonline.org

*** Telework Research Network: http://www.teleworkresearchnetwork.com/telecommuting-statistics

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