WorkSource is committed to providing a workforce development system that is vigorous, competitive in the global economy, and meets the needs of the area's employers and job seekers. The organization’s 6th annual labor market survey (conducted by phone from August - October 2003) surveyed over 3,600 local companies on salary data, projected hiring over the next 12 months, and other vital information about the local labor market.

Some points of interest revealed by the 2003 survey include:

• Current Openings - During the survey process, employers were asked to report anticipated hiring for the next 90 days for each occupation surveyed. This process effectively uncovers current (and often unadvertised) openings for the region. For Northeast Florida, the survey uncovered 4,200 job openings using this process.
• Growth - The industries with the highest projected relative growth rate for the next 12 months were Agriculture (17%) and Business Services (13%).
• Turnover - The Business Services (29%) and Retail (21%) industries were most impacted by annual occupational turnover.
• Demand - The industries with the greatest projected relative demand (growth plus turnover) for the next 12 months were Business Services (39%) and Retail (28%). The occupations with the highest projected demand were ‘Vehicle/Equipment Cleaners,’ ‘Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks,’ and ‘Desktop Publishers.’
• Difficulty Hiring – Employers in Government reported the greatest difficulty finding both experienced and non-experienced employees. Employers in the Services, Wholesale and Finance industries took on average about 45 days to hire experienced employees. For the Finance industry, employers had even more trouble finding non-experienced employees.
• Interest in Creating Internships – About 40% of employers indicated that they would be willing to create internships for young workers. Of these respondents, 71% would pay their interns.
• Most Common Deficiency Among Recent Job Applicants – By far, local employers were most concerned about the work habits of recent job applicants. Over a third cited this deficiency.

To access the survey online, visit: www.usworks.com/jacksonville