(MOBILE, Ala.) - Express Employment Professionals is a human resources company with offices in Mobile, Pensacola and Gulfport. They see about 75 job seekers per week hoping to match their skills with an employers needs, and there are jobs out there.
"Inventories were depleted, now manufacturers have to go out there and make more things so we're really seeing a big increase on the industrial side - it's probably the bulk of our growth this year. But the economy still isn't great, and that presents the ultimate challenge - meeting the working person's long term goals with the employers short term needs," explains Chris Ashcraft.
"People are looking you know what do we need right now and they're trying to fill that void right now. We're still going quarter by quarter, we're still seeing companies saying 'We have orders, we have orders through August, we have orders through October,' and that's kinda how they're gaging it."
Summer jobs aren't as prevalent as they were 20 years ago. People with a lot of experience are taking lower-tier jobs just to stay employed, making it even more difficult for college graduates, who are encouraged to find what they want to do and get a foot in the door any way they can - even if that means working for less money - that experience will pay off as the economy and the job market continue to improve.
"Every day, we have companies that last year said we're laying off that are turning around and saying we need 2-3 people this year so it is really looking good for Mobile," explains Becky Lovgren. "They're kind of unsure about hiring someone permanently right now, but they are needing people to do the jobs and I really do think its picking up."
