Ohioans landing new jobs faster

Ohio workers’ time unemployed has declined, a positive direction for the state’s economy.

The nationwide poll, conducted by Harris Interactive from Feb. 21 to March 10, showed 59 percent of displaced workers found new jobs within a year of layoff, up from 55 percent a year ago — and 90 percent of those workers found full-time employment.

AP Photo The nationwide poll, conducted by Harris Interactive from Feb. 21 to March 10, showed 59 percent of displaced workers found new jobs within a year of layoff, up from 55 percent a year ago — and 90 percent of those workers found full-time employment.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Asphalt can only be sealed; only concrete is resurfaced
10:43 a.m.
Dollar stores get wider range of customers
10:32 a.m.
Honda gets a double-shot of good consumer news
10:30 a.m.
Anthem puts emphasis on quality
10:29 a.m.
UD researcher uses know-how to photograph local eagles
5/25/12
> More headlines

By Randy Tucker, Staff Writer Updated 1:49 PM Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Jobless workers in Ohio and across the nation, especially those willing to relocate or apply their skills in different industries, are beginning to find new jobs at a slightly faster pace.

That’s according to government data and worker surveys that indicate employers have opened their doors a little wider to new hires, although unemployment remains high — hovering around 9 percent in Ohio.

The Department of Labor reported earlier this month that for the first time in more than a year the average length of time a jobless worker in the United States had been unemployed fell in April to 38.3 weeks from 39 weeks in March.

George Zeller, a Cleveland-based economic researcher, says the decline, however slight, is a good sign for job seekers.

“It’s good to see something moving in a positive direction,’’ Zeller said. “But (the duration of unemployment) is still near the record set in March, so we still have a long way to go.’’

While the job market remains tight, those employers who are adding workers appear less reluctant to fill positions, based on the results of a widely watched Harris poll.

The nationwide poll, conducted by Harris Interactive from Feb. 21 to March 10, showed 59 percent of displaced workers found new jobs within a year of layoff, up from 55 percent a year ago — and 90 percent of those workers found full-time employment.

In addition, fewer workers took pay cuts, with 43 percent of those hired taking jobs with less pay than their previous positions, compared with 54 percent last year, the survey revealed.

Many of the workers surveyed made major changes to secure employment, including relocating to different cities and looking for work in new fields.

About a third of new workers — 33 percent — moved to a new city or state to find jobs, according to the Harris poll, and 60 percent took jobs in different industries than the ones in which they were previously employed. That’s up from 48 percent who took jobs in new fields last year.

Relocating to find new jobs is a trend that most labor experts expect to continue and could benefit states like Ohio, where unemployment of 8.6 percent is below the national average.

“Ohio is doing better than a lot of other states, so people should be moving here,’’ Zeller said.

The problem, however, is that jobs are scarce everywhere, he said, so moving for a job offers no guarantees.

“The question is where are you going to move to,’’ he said. “Historically, if you go back two or three years, large numbers of displaced workers from Ohio moved to California, Arizona and Florida. Now, California, Arizona and Florida are in worse shape than we are.’’

Still, most Americans would be willing to move for the right job, with many even prepared to relocate to a different country, based on the results of another survey from the global employment firm, Kelly Services.

The survey of more than 19,000 U.S. residents found nearly two-thirds of Americans would be willing to move for a “desired position,” with 25 percent willing to move to another city or town; 22 percent willing to relocate to another state and 12 percent willing to move to another country or continent for work.

“Across the board, we see that many individuals are ready to move where the work is located, rather than waiting for the work to come to them,” said Mike Webster, executive vice president at Kelly Services. “Increasingly, we are experiencing the growth of a workforce that is flexible and willing to bridge cultural and language differences that once served as a barrier to work mobility.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2437 or rtucker@coxohio.com.