3 Things Job Seekers Have To Be Thankful For Right Now

Gustavo Frazao

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and the state of the job market is giving job seekers something to be thankful for. The 2015 Jobvite Recruiter Nation survey found that over a quarter of companies expect to hire more than 100 employees during the next year.

More jobs opening up isn’t the only good news, either. More and more employment trends are favoring job hunters. Here are three things that will make job seekers happy this holiday season:

1. Companies are focusing on their employer brands

In the aforementioned Recruiter Nation survey, 46 percent of respondents said they plan to spend more money improving and building their employer brand. As a job seeker, this means they’re going to be focusing on giving you the information you want to know, about working for them.

Instead of having to scour the internet to learn about a company’s culture or what they look for in a job candidate, employers bring that information to you. Through social media platforms and their websites, companies want it to be clear about why you should work for them. Before you’re hired, before you even spend time applying, you’ll now have a better idea of whether or not you’ll fit in, be successful, and be satisfied with any potential job.

2. Smaller companies are giving employees more of what they want

The 2015 LinkedIn Survey Why & How People Change Jobs found that many employees are leaving larger companies and finding happy homes with organizations of under 500 people. Among the top factors that attracted job seekers to smaller companies were more challenging work, ability to make an impact, and belief in the company’s overall direction.

One of the driving forces behind this trend is the introduction of new graduates to the workforce. Younger job seekers, like yourself, have different priorities than older generations, and small companies understand that.

If you know it’ll take more than money to make you satisfied with your job, start focusing your search on smaller companies. That way, you can do work that is important to you with a company that you believe in.

3. Employer support for raising the minimum wage is increasing

A September 2015 survey by CareerBuilder found that 64 percent of employers believe the minimum wage should be raised. Just under a quarter said the minimum wage should be increased to as high as $14 an hour.

Even if you’re looking for a salary job, this will pay off for you as well. While the pay increases might not be as dramatic for titles that traditionally earn more than minimum wage, salaries will have to go up, across the board, to continue to attract talent to higher positions.

What other trends can job seekers be thankful for this Thanksgiving?