Survey: Qualified workers scarce

Alana Roberts

Friday, Feb. 4, 2005 | 11 a.m.

Most of Nevada's employers plan to hire workers within the next several months, but they're having difficulty finding qualified workers, a Nevada JobConnect survey said.

Nevada JobConnect is part of a consortium of public and private employment, training rehabilitation and education programs and services for employers and job seekers. The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation is a primary partner of Neavda JobConnect.

About 300 representatives of small, medium and large businesses from around the state were surveyed.

The survey showed that 85 percent of businesses with 501 to 1,000 employees said they plan to hire within the next several months, while 66 percent of businesses with 51 to 100 employees said they also would be hiring.

The survey indicated more employers reported they were having difficulty recruiting new employees in this survey compared to the group's 2003 survey. The survey showed the percentage of companies facing challenges in recruiting employees grew from 38 percent in 2003 to 59 percent.

The survey also showed that larger companies with 500 or more employees were more likely to be concerned about retention than smaller companies.

"It's definitely a job hunters' market," Carol Herrington, president of the Southern Nevada Human Resource Association, said. "It may not seem that way if your looking for a job. For those of us on this side of the desk... I can look up a clerk job and I can get 50 applicants but only 10 have the qualifications."

She said employers in specialized industries, particularly in Southern Nevada, have a difficult time recruiting workers and often have to recruit from around the country. She said workers often migrate to Southern Nevada when other parts of the country are experiencing a recession.

Nevada continues to enjoy lower unemployment rates than the rest of the country with a 3.8 percent unemployment rate in December, compared to the nationwide rate of 5.4 percent. Still, employers nationwide added 157,000 new jobs in November, which brought the year-end total to 2.2 million jobs, the best growth in five years.

"I think it may be tougher to get folks here now," Herrington said. "Recruiting wasn't nearly as hard when there (were) dips in the economy everywhere else. In Nevada we get blips, typically we recover more easily. Those people are more apt to come out of desperation. When things get better at home they leave. We're finding that too."

Although some employers are having a difficult time finding qualified workers, Nevada JobConnect is helping to train Nevada's workforce, Kelly Karch, center manager of the Nevada JobConnect office in Las Vegas, said. The survey showed that 35 percent of businesses with 201 to 1,000 employees used Nevada JobConnect to recruit workers.

Karch said the biggest need for qualified workers is in the gaming industry.

"What is happening is we have all of these properties coming on line," Karch said. "You're going to see the Wynn (Las Vegas) sucking people from other properties. Even though Wynn (Las Vegas) will open 9,000 jobs that will open up 40,000 jobs. Plus the construction in town, that opens up several groups. You have construction workers, security guards to watch the properties you need people to run the heavy equipment."

Karch said Nevada JobConnect contracts with Nevada Partners to train workers for hospitality jobs. He said Nevada JobConnect also contracts with other organizations to train for other jobs such as truck drivers, certified nursing assistants, dental assistants and electricians. He said Nevada JobConnect tries to keep training as short as possible, with most training programs lasting 90 days.

"I'm the portal for a lot of people, especially for entry level jobs," Karch said. "For those people who want to work we can find work. It may not be the job they want, but it will be a job until they get the lay of the land."