Boom! Pacific Staffing Employment Trends for Q1 2018

A booming market brings new concerns for employers and employees across the Sacramento region.

The ongoing active Sacramento hiring marketplace raises employer concerns in the first quarter of the New Year. In speaking directly with top employers Pacific Staffing discovered hiring, retention and payroll pressure among 2018 employment market concerns. Pressure from increasing competition with higher wage firms based in the Bay Area also causing pay issues in Sacramento.

In telephone contacts between Nov 23 and December 15th sixty-five percent (65%) of regional companies report they plan to hire in the first three months of 2018. That projected hiring is lower than the previous quarter, as thirty-five percent (35%) of employers say no hiring is anticipated in January, February and March.

With a robust demand for workers, Pacific Staffing also learned that some regional companies are paying signing bonuses for scarce skillsets and retention of current skilled workers to maintain workforce needs. While eight percent (8%) of Q1 hiring is attributed to seasonal needs, not a single company is reporting any layoffs in the new calendar’s first three months. Overall demand is evenly split with 43% of employers attributing hiring to replacements, and for expansion.

A shortage in the Sacramento region of qualified applicants has grown to include entry level/general labor applicants, construction trades, equipment operators and licensed route and delivery drivers. Companies also report strong demands for bookkeeping, accounting/finance, customer service and sales.

Having surveyed Sacramento regional employers since 1992 each new year brings new challenges. In 2017 those changes included Basic work ethics- less loyalty to employers and dedication to doing a job, as noted by the Trends in Q4- In between August 23-September 20, regional employers also were asked if people and their expectations of work were making it difficult to manage. This question generated the largest single positive response as seventy-seven percent (77%) said Yes, noting people were ‘unrealistic’, ‘underqualified’, and younger workers less driven to work. This change in ‘work ethic’ as ‘generational’ attitude with an ‘entitlement’ outlook causing attendance, productivity and retention issues.-as employers are now noting as 2018 dawns.

More cultural change came to the front as a surprising number of Sacramento HR contacts noted more parental interference in hiring and workplace settings as reported in Q3 Trends- polled directly by phone between May 22 and June 22, 2017. Pacific Staffing learned one quarter, or twenty-five percent (25%) of all companies reported having had this experience recently when asked about it directly. This (parental interference) is an unwelcome new trend and seems to be growing in the workplace-with employers suggesting it was embarrassing ‘meddling’ for both parent and adult children.

How does this Quarter compare to last Quarter, or last year? Find out for yourself.

For more information, employment blogs & market surveys go to www.pacificstaffing.com.

Sacramento Regional Top Companies Polled by Industry:

48% are Service, 24% are Manufacturers, 16% are Construction and 12% are Retail