CareerCenters See Rise in Number of Job Postings Bookmark and Share

December 7, 2012

*First Increase in Four Years*

For Immediate Release: December 7, 2012
Contact: Mary LaFontaine, Manager, Lewiston CareerCenter, (207) 753-9094 or Mary.J.LaFontaine@maine.gov; Julie Rabinowitz, 207-621-5009

Media note: For data and contact information to create a version of this story pertinent to your local media/labor market, please contact Julie Rabinowitz, Director of Communication at the Department of Labor. County-specific labor market information is available at the Center for Workforce Research and Information Website .

LEWISTON?Androscoggin County businesses, along with those in other counties around the state, are posting statistically higher job orders, the first such significant increase since the start of the recent recession according to officials at the CareerCenter in Lewiston and the Department of Labor in Augusta.

That is positive news for the economy, and officials at the Lewiston CareerCenter and staffing agencies in the state say job seekers are responding.

"Opportunities are increasing,? said Mary LaFontaine, manager at the Lewiston CareerCenter. ?I think the figures suggest that more people are getting jobs as supported by recent numbers from the Maine Department of Labor.?

Proving that the Lewiston CareerCenter numbers are not a fluke, area staffing agencies have also seen a strong increase in job orders.

?In October of this year, our Lewiston branch saw an increase of approximately 55 percent in people assigned to job openings, which equates to an increase of 52 actual assignments compared to October of 2011," said Kelly Jaeger, Branch Manager of Bonney Staffing located in Lewiston, Maine. "Admittedly, some of these are temporary projects; however, many are also known as ?temp to hire? opportunities.?

Jaeger believes these numbers indicate a positive trend in the local economy.

?We are certainly encouraged by the numbers,? added Jaeger. ?With locations across the country, company-wide, October was a great month for us. Sixty-seven percent of our current assigned employees are on industrial assignments, which include warehousing, manufacturing, production and other jobs. The remaining 33 percent have been assigned office-related positions.? While officials point to the numbers as a strong indicator of positive news, the numbers do not necessarily reflect that the economy has returned to its pre-recession rate of growth.

"There are still not enough jobs for all of the unemployed who are actively seeking work, and many of the job postings are requiring skills that the unemployed don?t have," said LaFontaine. ?But what we are seeing is a trend of local businesses, especially in the Lewiston-Auburn and Androscoggin County area, posting opportunities.?

More than 90 employers are listing jobs in Androscoggin County. Employers utilizing the Maine Job Bank to post jobs in the Lewiston-Auburn area include TD Bank, Bates College, Wescott Electric, Procter and Gamble, Central Maine Medical Center, Merrymeeting Behavioral Health, Goodwill Industries, Lily Transportation Corp., Bill?s Auto Transport, Carbonite, Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, VIP, UPS, McKesson and Xerox as well as such staffing firms as Kelly, Adecco, Maine Staffing Group, Westaff, Manpower, Staff Management and Express Employment Professionals.
Recognizing that many of the job postings require advanced training or a specialized skill set, officials at the CareerCenter highlighted resources available for those needing additional assistance.

?I think for a lot of people, they forget that the CareerCenters around the state work with adult education, community colleges and universities to help people gain the skills they need to access new career paths,? said LaFontaine. ?There are several programs and initiatives that can help people access funding so they can more easily take advantage of training or educational opportunities.?

Citing the importance of taking advantage of education opportunities, LaFontaine stressed the job satisfaction and monetary benefits associated with an increased education.

?Many people do not realize that a small investment of time and effort into training to upgrade skills for an entirely different career can have long-term benefits including more job opportunities and higher wages.?

Androscoggin County by the Numbers

First number is the number of jobs posted in the Maine Job Bank*
Second number is the total number of positions available through the jobs posted**

  • 2012 October: 260; 519
  • 2011 October: 110; 170
  • 2010 October: 85: 113
  • 2012 July: 185; 273
  • 2011 July: 93; 223
  • 2010 July: 85; 340***
  • 2012 March: 160; 227
  • 2011 March: 127; 334****
  • 2010 March: 77; 121

  • Reflects openings in the Maine Job Bank only. These numbers do not reflect job postings from other online sources.
    ** Individual postings often include more than one opening/position for each posting.
    *** 200 of the 340 positions open in July 210 were from one employer. Without those 200, the number of open positions would have been 140.
    **** 75 of the 334 position in March 2011 were from one employer. Without those 75, the number of open positions would have been 159.

Statewide Unemployment Rate - 2012 October: 7.4 - 2012 July: 7.6 - 2012 March: 7.2 - 2011 October: 7.3 - 2011 July: 7.6 - 2011 March: 7.8

For more information about the Maine CareerCenter, please visit www.mainecareercenter.com or call 1-800-741-2991 to find out more about how the CareerCenters can help with job search and training.

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