More than one in five job vacancies in Washington in April were in the health-care industry, according to the newest job-vacancy report published by the Employment Security Department.
The Spring Washington Job Vacancy Survey report is based on a survey taken in April, which found that there were more than 16,000 health-care job openings out of an estimated 74,744 unfilled jobs statewide.
Among the health-care vacancies, 4,312 were for registered nurses. There also were a lot of openings for licensed practical and vocational nurses, nursing aides, orderlies and attendants.
“Despite the softening economy, the health-care job market remains strong,” said Karen Lee, Employment Security commissioner. “It’s a good field for anyone who’s looking for long-term, steady employment.”
Retail sales ranked second in the number of job openings, with 2,803 vacancies, followed by food preparers and servers, with 2,262 vacancies, and cashiers, with 2,120 openings.
The 74,744 job vacancies identified in April were 1,564 more than in Oct. 2007, but 12,703 fewer than in April 2007.
Economist Dave Wallace, who authored the report, said that even though the total number of filled jobs is higher than a year ago, the lower vacancy numbers may indicate that demand for workers isn’t as high as it was last year.
“The number of vacancies is in line with the rest of the economy,” Wallace said. “Some parts of the economy are still growing, but at a slower pace.”
While many of the occupations required some level of higher education or specialty training, more than half required a high school diploma or less. Legal occupations offered the highest median wage, at $33.65 per hour, while the food preparation and agricultural occupations offered a median hourly wage of $8.07. Median wages for vacancies dropped consistently with lessened educational requirements, according to the April survey.
“Getting a good academic or vocational education is a very important part of getting a good, well-paying job,” said Lee. “When young people set their professional goals, they must map out a complete career path, not only the end point.”
Job seekers can search nearly 27,000 jobs online at www.go2worksource.com or by visiting a local WorkSource center. The full Washington State Job Vacancy Survey report is available online at www.workforceexplorer.com.
