Jobs. Trends. Insight. » Engineering

Are Engineering Services Jobs Falling Off Track?

Abby Lombardi — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:47:51 +0000

During 2012, hiring in the engineering services industry was growing strongly. However, we've noticed that overall demand for engineers has been declining since then. Last week, we reported that job ads for Electrical Engineers declined slightly in February. Since engineering jobs are one of the STEM fields and often considered hard-to-fill, we looked at recent trends in the engineering services industry. During February 2013, there were approximately 49,000 job ads posted online in the engineering services industry. This is an 11% year-over-year decline when compared to February 2012.

Hiring Demand in the Engineering Services Industry

Source: WANTED Analytics

Not surprisingly, engineering occupations are most commonly advertised in the engineering services industry. Despite having more than 18,000 jobs available during February, demand for engineers in this industry declined 4% from last February. In addition to engineers, many IT occupations are highly demanded in this industry as well.

The most commonly advertised job titles include:

Electrical Engineer
Administrative Assistant
Mechanical Engineer
Project Manager
Software Engineer
Civil Engineer
Systems Engineer
Project Engineer
Program Manager
Systems Administrator

The metro areas with the most demand in the US during February were Washington (DC), Houston, New York, Baltimore, and Detroit. From the last time we covered hiring in the engineering services industry, Los Angeles and San Francisco have dropped from this top 5 list and were replaced by Baltimore and Detroit. While the most jobs were seen in Washington, DC last month, the largest year-over-year growth was seen in the Baltimore metro area. There were 28% more jobs in February 2013 in Baltimore than were available online in February 2012. Of these 5 cities with the most demand, employers in Detroit are likely to find engineering services jobs the hardest-to-recruit. Our Hiring Scale shows that, while demand has grown, the local talent pool has not expanded at the same rate. Here, jobs in the engineering services industry score a 66 (out of 99, which marks the hardest-to-fill situation.) The national average for this industry is a 49.

Hiring Scale for the Engineering Services Industry in Detroit, MI

Source: WANTED Analytics

Are you interested in seeing how hard-to-fill these jobs are in your city? Sign up for a free trial of WANTED Analytics to see a Hiring Scale snapshot, average salary ranges, who you are competing with for talent, places to find potential candidates, and more!

Already an Analytics user? Log in here – we've already added the Engineering Services industry. Just add location, occupation, or skill requirements and download a Talent Sourcing Report!

Powering Up Hiring for Electrical Engineers

Ashley Rowe — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 12:30:59 +0000

We often cover hiring demand for engineering occupations and we recently highlighted the most in-demand engineering job title, Mechanical Engineers. Today, we analyze hiring trends for the second most advertised engineering title, Electrical Engineers. From 2010 – 2012, hiring for Electrical Engineers was on the rise. In March 2012, demand reached a 4-year high and modestly declined afterwards. Despite the subtle dip, hiring throughout 2012 was higher than 2011. Job volume in February 2013 was slightly behind 2012 by .7%. Electrical Engineer hiring activity might actually be on track with BLS's employment growth projections. BLS predicts that hiring for Electrical Engineers will grow at a slower rate than average occupations, growing 6% from 2010 to 2020.

Hiring Demand for Electrical Engineers – 4 Year Hiring Trends

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

The professional, scientific and technical services sector had the most job ads posted online for Electrical Engineers followed by manufacturing. Although these sectors experienced the highest demand, neither of them saw growth when compared to last year. Wholesale trade (+6%) and utilities (+12%) are the only sectors, out of the 5 below, that saw increases in job volume when compared to February 2012.

Sectors with the Most Demand for Electrical Engineers

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Manufacturing
Wholesale Trade
Utilities
Construction

Nationally, Electrical Engineers are likely to be moderately difficult-to-fill, scoring a 58 on our Hiring Scale (out of 99, where 99 indicates difficult-to-fill.) Binghamton (NY) has the most favorable recruiting conditions, scoring a 5. Below are 7 metro areas that score a 10 or lower on our Hiring Scale, demonstrating that these locations are likely to present less difficulty.

Best Cities to Recruit Electrical Engineers

Binghamton (NY) – 5
Birmingham-Hoover (AL) – 6
Fort Wayne (IN) – 7
Lynchburg (VA) – 9
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville (FL) – 10
Huntsville (AL) – 10
Boise City-Nampa (ID) – 10

In comparison, 9 cities score an 86 or higher on our Hiring Scale. The worst conditions are likely to be in Davenport-Moline-Rock-Island (IA), scoring a 90. How does your city compare? Try a free trial of WANTED Analytics™ to see what the Hiring Scale score is in your city.

Already an Analytics user? Log in here. We've already added the Electrical Engineers occupation. Just add your location and any other requirements then view the difficulty level on the Maps tab.

Engineering Jobs Still Grow to New Highs

Abby Lombardi — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:50:59 +0000

Hiring for engineers continues and many Recruiters have been searching for information on sourcing these professionals. With growing interest, we decided to look at overall engineering hiring demand. Here are most commonly advertised engineering job titles:

Mechanical Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Manufacturing Engineer
Quality Engineer
Engineer
Project Engineer
Process Engineer
Design Engineer
Engineering Technician
Senior Electrical Engineer
Senior Mechanical Engineer
Test Engineer
Mechanical Design Engineer
Industrial Engineer
Technician

January saw a new high in jobs being advertised, with more than 280,000 postings. About 82% of these jobs were advertised by employers directly, while staffing firms and other recruiting agencies accounted for about 18% of postings. The industries with the most demand for engineers were Engineering Services, Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing, and Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology). Engineering Services had the most ads in January with more than 15,000, growing 13% compared to January of 2012.

Source: WANTED Analytics

Employers in Houston have the most jobs being advertised currently, with about 4,900 listings. Los Angeles, Detroit, San Jose, and New York round out the top 5 metro areas with the most job ads for Engineers. Of these 5 locations, our Hiring Scale shows that Engineers are likely to be the hardest to fill in Detroit. With growing demand (up 30% year-over-year in January), there is more competition to attract talent. However, the talent pool in Detroit is the smallest of these locations. In comparison, employers in New York are likely to experience better conditions. While Detroit scores a 72 (highest possible score of 99,) New York's Hiring Scale score is 41. It's likely to be easier than average to fill engineering jobs in New York than the national average.

Hiring Scale for Engineers in Detroit, MI

Source: WANTED Analytics

Hiring Scale for Engineers in New York, NY

Source: WANTED Analytics

For more information on engineering and to compare hiring trends, check out our article: Most In-Demand Engineers

Find out how conditions compare in your city with a free trial of WANTED Analytics!

Already an Analytics user? Log in here – we already added the "Architecture and Engineering" occupation. Just add any additional skills, certifications, or location requirements and get a customized Hiring Scale for your open jobs.

Engineering Hiring Demand Grows in Canada

Abby Lombardi — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:51:52 +0000

Engineers are an in-demand occupation and we often cover hiring trends in the US. Today, we thought we would examine recent hiring trends for engineers in Canada. After a significant decline in job postings during December, demand seemed to bounce back in January and more closely represented what was seen in the latter part of 2012. In January, there were more than 14,000 job ads posted online, an 8% year-over-year increase when comparing to January of 2012. This also falls just slightly short of May 2012, the highest point during the past four-years when there were 14,700 ads online.

Hiring Trend for Engineers in Canada – 4 Year Job Ad Volume

Source: WANTED Analytics

Within engineering related occupations, the most commonly advertised job titles were:

Mechanical Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Project Manager
Project Engineer
Power Engineer
Electromecanicien / Electromecanicienne
Process Engineer
Engineering Manager
Manufacturing Engineer
Civil Engineer

In addition, the 5 most in-demand skills in engineering job ads in Canada are project management, Microsoft Office, oral and written communication skills, self-starting/self-motivated, and problem solving. We noticed that these are fairly "soft skills" and not necessarily things that can be taught. Do any of these skill sets surprise you? Or, did you expect other tools or technologies to be on this list?

Below are the 5 metropolitan areas in Canada that had the most online job ads for Engineer occupations during January, along with their year-over-year growth. While Toronto actually had the greatest demand for science professionals,Edmonton experienced the greatest year-over-year increase in January 2013 when compared to January 2012 of the below 5 areas. Calgary was the only region of the below to see a decline year-over-year.

10 Metropolitan Areas in Canada with Most Jobs for Engineers

Source: WANTED Analytics

Are you sourcing for engineering professionals in Canada? Find out how in-demand they are in your local province or city with a free trial of WANTED Analytics!

Already an Analytics user in Canada? Log in and search for the NOC codes 021, 213, and/or 214. Or, just click this link for pre-populated search and add filters as needed. Don't forget that you can also generate a Talent Sourcing Report to share with HR teams and partners!

US Leads in Nanotechnology Patents – What is the Hiring Outlook?

Abby Lombardi — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:00:22 +0000

A recent study by McDermott Will & Emery revealed that the United States leads the world in nanotechnology patents, accounting for 54% of all patent applications and grants. We wondered if hiring would follow this trend, since we thought companies might be hiring specialized skills to work on "nano" projects. Currently, there are about 190 employers looking to hire "nano" experienced professionals.

Hiring demand seems to be focused in specific areas across the US – not necessarily a widely-sought skill set. The largest volume of job ads is currently in the San Jose, CA metro area. Being a part of the Silicon Valley, it's probably not too surprising that demand is highest here. Other metropolitan areas with the highest demand are Albany (NY), Boston (MA), and New York (NY).

Hiring Demand for "Nano" Jobs in the US

Source: WANTED Analytics

Below are the 10 most commonly advertised job titles that include "nano" in their ads.

Product Manager Solar Grade Polysilicon
Mechanical Engineer
Assistant Professor
Assistant Associate Professor
Research Scientist
Research Associate I NCI
Electrical Engineer
ITO Service Delivery Consultant III
Post Doctoral Fellow NCI
Service Information Developer II

These job ads we looked at included either "nanotechnology" or "nano engineering." Knowing that, you would expect to see engineering and technology job titles listed. In addition, if companies are working on new projects, research associate and research scientists make sense to appear on this list. As demand for "nano" projects grows, it's likely that colleges and universities will continue to hire Professors to teach students the latest developments.

Are you hiring for nano engineering or nanotechnology projects? Find out what demand is like in your city with a free trial of WANTED Analytics.

Already an Analytics user? Log in and copy/paste a job description into the Search Wizard to generate supply and demand data. Don't forget to generate a Talent Sourcing Report and share it with hiring managers!

Mechanically Inclined Recruiting

Ashley Rowe — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:30:19 +0000

As STEM careers continue to be difficult-to-fill, we reviewed hiring demand for the most commonly advertised engineering job title, Mechanical Engineers, and the best cities to recruit this talent. Over the last 90 days, more than 42,000 job ads appeared online for Mechanical Engineers, representing a 5% year-over-year decline. Despite this decrease, overall hiring demand in 2012 was 3% higher than in 2011. Engineering services posted the most ads, representing 9% of demand, followed research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences.

Hiring Demand for Mechanical Engineers – 4 Year Hiring Trend

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

Nationwide, recruiting conditions for Mechanical Engineers are likely to be moderately difficult, scoring a 65 on our Hiring Scale (99 denotes hardest-to-fill). Las Vegas presents the best hiring conditions, scoring a 5. Below are other cities that are likely to see less difficulty, all of which scored 7 or lower on our Hiring Scale.

Boise City-Nampa, ID – 5
Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, FL – 5
Columbus, IN – 6
Lynchburg, VA – 7
Lafayette, IN – 7

Hiring Scale Heat Map for Mechanical Engineers

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

Adversely, Detroit, MI presents the most difficult recruiting conditions, scoring a 93. Detroit's current talent demand exceeds what the local, qualified candidate pool can support.

How does your city rank on the Hiring Scale? Find out with a free trial of WANTED Analytics.

Already an Analytics user? Log in here, the criteria is already set up for you with the occupation Mechanical Engineers. Just add your location and any other requirements. Then, select Generate Report to download a Talent Sourcing Report.

Building Hiring Demand for Architects

Abby Lombardi — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:49:36 +0000

Architects fall under the Architecture and Engineering occupational category. We often look at demand for various types of engineers, but have never examined hiring trends for architects. Over the past 30 days, there were approximately 3,000 ads available online for architecture jobs. Despite a slowing in month-to-month demand during the final months of 2012, demand for architects was up 12% compared to the same 30-day period in 2012.

Hiring Demand for Architects – 4 Year Hiring Trend

Source: WANTED Analytics

Within architecture occupations, architecture drafters were the most in-demand occupation during January. Other in-demand positions were Architects (except landscape and naval,) civil drafters, surveyors, landscape architects, and cartographers and photogrammetrists. The most commonly advertised unique job titles are below:

Architect
Drafter
Project Architect
CAD Drafter
AutoCAD Drafter
CAD Operator
Surveyor
Architectural Designer
Landscape Architect
Senior Architect

Since CAD, or computer-aided design, is mentioned in 3 titles above, it's probably not too surprising that AutoDesk CAD is the most commonly required skill of Architects.

The average posting period of an architect job ad is 36 days, or just over 5 weeks. This doesn't necessarily mean it will take 36 days to fill a job, simply that job ads stay online for this amount of time on average across the US. The cities with the shortest posting periods are Toledo (Ohio,) Green Bay (Wisconsin,) and Colorado Springs (Colorado.) In these areas, jobs remain online for an average of 3 weeks or less.

Heat Map of Average Posting Period for Architect Job Ads

Source: WANTED Analytics

How does your city compare for hiring Architects? Is the average posting period shorter or longer in your city? Try a free trial of WANTED Analytics and get a Talent Sourcing Report of hiring demand in your local area.

Already an Analytics user? Log in and simply enter your location or any skill requirements for your open jobs. Don't forget to generate a Talent Sourcing Report to share with HR partners and hiring managers.

Where to Find Engineers with CAD Skills

Abby Lombardi — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 13:54:11 +0000

Computer aided design, or CAD, is becoming a more commonly required skill for Engineers. In November, more than 25,000 engineering job ads required CAD skills or experience, a 7% increase compared to the same time period last year. Some of the job titles that most commonly require this skill include:

Mechanical Engineer
Manufacturing Engineer
Design Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Mechanical Design Engineer
Project Engineer
Senior Mechanical Engineers
Mechanical Designer
Engineer
CAD Drafter

As demand increases for this talent, it's likely that Recruiters will face increasing difficulties when trying to fill these positions. To give you a competitive edge among other companies, today we're sharing some of the best current locations for finding potential candidates.

Hiring Scale Map for Engineers with CAD Skills

Source: WANTED Analytics

By the above map of Hiring Scales for Engineers with CAD skills shows current recruiting conditions in major metropolitan areas across the US. The cities where these jobs are likely to be the most difficult to fill are depicted in red. Some locations where hiring is likely to be the most difficult are Athens (Georgia), Tyler (Texas), and Hagerstown (Maryland). Athens scores a 93 on our Hiring Scale, out of a possible 99. So, it's likely to be very difficult here to find Engineers with the CAD skills you require.

Hiring Scale for Engineers with CAD skills in Athens, GA

Source: WANTED Analytics

Below are 10 metropolitan areas that rank with the best overall conditions for sourcing CAD skilled engineers:

Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
Panama City-Lynn Haven, FL
Columbus, IN
Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, FL
Lafayette, IN
Boise City-Nampa, ID
Charleston, WV
Birmingham-Hoover, AL
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY
Huntsville, AL

The Palm Bay, Florida metro area is currently experiencing the best conditions for this talent, with a Hiring Scale score of 8. There are 12 employers currently recruiting for Engineers with CAD skill sets in this location. If you are about to source talent in Palm Bay, or any of the above locations, and relocate candidates you are likely to see less competition from other employers, leading you to more candidates to source from. Or, if relocation isn't an option, working remotely may be a possibility to discuss with hiring managers.

Hiring Scale for Engineers with CAD Skills in Palm Bay, FL

Source: WANTED Analytics

Are you sourcing for Engineers with CAD experience? Which types of Engineers do you require these skills for? Find out what the Hiring Scale score is in your city with a free trial of WANTED Analytics!

Already an Analytics user? Log in and search for the appropriate engineering occupation and select your metro area. Or, just copy and paste one of your job reqs into the Search Wizard. Don't forget to generate a Talent Sourcing Report to share with hiring managers and HR partners as you develop an effective, efficient recruiting strategy.

Building Hiring Demand for Civil Engineers

Abby Lombardi — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:57:52 +0000

Engineers are in high demand in the United States, and one of the types of Engineers we commonly see requests are Civil Engineers. Civil Engineers are needed to design, construct, and maintain infrastructure and buildings. The BLS projects that demand for this occupation will grow 19% between 2010 and 2020. Today, we look at if demand is on pace and challenges Recruiters are likely to face. In just the past 30 days, there were over 11,000 job ads available online for Civil Engineers, a 14% increase compared to the same time period in 2011 and up more than 40% from 2010. As an engineering occupation and a STEM career, we would expect hiring demand to be fairly strong for Civil Engineers.

Hiring Demand for Civil Engineers – 4 Year Hiring Demand

Source: WANTED Analytics

Below are the 10 metropolitan areas that had the highest number of available job ads in the past 30 days, along with their year-over-year growth. All 10 locations saw year-over-year growth. Employers posted the most ads for positions located in the Houston area. However, employers in Denver saw the greatest growth, with more than 84% more jobs this year than in the same 30-day period in 2011.

Source: WANTED Analytics

Just like we reported with all types of engineering occupations, CAD skills are highly in demand for Civil Engineers. Below is a list of the 10 most commonly advertised skills and requirements in civil engineering job ads.

Project management
Autodesk AutoCAD
Construction management
Oral and written communication skills
Microsoft Office
Bentley Microstation
Business development
Self-starting/self-motivated
Detail oriented
Quality control

Are you recruiting for civil engineering professionals? Find out who you are competing with for talent and where to find potential candidates with a free trial of WANTED Analytics. Sign up today!

Already an Analytics user? Get a Talent Sourcing Report with recruiting conditions and hiring trend data! Log in and search for the Civil Engineer occupation. Add any skill, certification, other job requirements and click the Generate Report button on any tab in Analytics.

Is the Sun Setting on Solar Engineering Jobs?

Abby Lombardi — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:02:20 +0000

The Solar Foundation recently reported that employment by solar companies grew 13.2% from last year, adding more than 13,000 jobs in the US. While some solar and other alternative energy companies reported going bankrupt earlier this year, we wanted to take a look at recent hiring demand specifically for Solar Engineering see if jobs are growing for this occupation. After very strong hiring in 2011 and a peak in May with more than 4,000 jobs, we've seen the number of available jobs for Solar Engineers decline significantly. In October, there were just 1,600 jobs available online for solar engineering positions, a 30% decline from October 2011.

Hiring Demand for Solar Engineers – 4 Year Hiring Trend

Source: WANTED Analytics

The most commonly advertised job titles that require solar engineering knowledge or experience include:

Electrical Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Manufacturing Engineer
Project Engineer
Process Engineer

It's not surprising to see Electrical Engineer topping this list, since distributing power is a main component of solar energy.

Much of the hiring demand is concentrated in large metro areas around the US. San Francisco, California has the highest volume of jobs online currently, which isn't too surprising since this Silicon Valley hub is home to many solar companies. Other cities with the highest demand for solar engineering skills are Washington (DC), San Jose (California), New York (New York), and Phoenix (Arizona).

Heat Map of Hiring Demand for Solar Engineers

Source: WANTED Analytics

Are you hiring for solar engineers or any other jobs in the energy industry? Find out how hard-to-fill they are likely to be in your city, average salary data, who you are competing with for talent, and where you can find qualified candidates with a free trial of WANTED Analytics. Sign up today!

Already an Analytics user? Log in and upload an open job req into our Search Wizard to see what recruiting conditions are like!

Do Skill Requirements for Engineers Affect Difficulty-to-Hire?

Abby Lombardi — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:05:24 +0000

Engineers are one of the most in-demand occupations in the US. In September, there were more than 184,000 available job listings online for engineering jobs. Although seasonal trends may be affecting month-to-month hiring demand, the number of job ads has still grown compared to last year, representing a 12% year-over-year increase and 17% growth from two years ago. The most in-demand engineering job titles in the US are Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Quality Engineer, and Project Engineer.

4-Year Hiring Trend for Engineers – Monthly Job Ad Volumes in the US

Source: WANTED Analytics

As one of the STEM fields and an area that seems to be constantly evolving, these jobs are often considered hard-to-fill. Some of this may be related to the combination of skills required of potential candidates. In addition to traditional engineering skills and certifications, like quality assurance (QA) and Six Sigma, we noticed there are several technologies that are more commonly being required in engineering jobs. Computer-aided design (CAD) experience is a common job requirement, and knowledge of programs like Autodesk AutoCAD and SolidWorks CAD are some of the most in-demand skills for Engineers. For example, Autodesk AutoCAD is more commonly listed as a qualification in online job ads than Six Sigma skills. Overall, the number of job ads that look for candidates with CAD knowledge or experience is up 14% compared to September 2011.

As employers increase hiring demand for Engineers and begin to look for candidates with new skill sets, they are likely to experience more competition and an increased difficulty to fill. Our Hiring Scale™ shows that employers across the United States leave engineering job ads online for an average of 6.5 weeks. However, each location and region of the US experiences a varying degree of difficulty and time-to-hire. Companies in Athens, Georgia and Jefferson City, Missouri are currently experiencing more challenging overall recruiting conditions since hiring in these areas is growing more quickly than the local talent supply can support. Job ads in these locations remain online for an average of 9 weeks – 2.5 weeks longer than the national average. In comparison, the Hiring Scale also shows that employers in Binghamton, New York and Virginia Beach, Virginia are experiencing some of the least difficulties. Larger talent supply compared to the hiring demand by employers in these metro areas means that open engineering jobs are likely to be filled easier and faster. The average duration of a job ad in these locations is 5.5 weeks.

Below is a heat map of Hiring Scales in major metropolitan areas across the US. How does your city compare?

Heat Map of Hiring Scales for Engineering Jobs in the US

Source: WANTED Analytics

See how conditions compare in your local area with our free online Hiring Scale.

Already an Analytics user? Log in and search for the "Architecture and Engineering" occupation. Don't forget to add skills you require in candidates – like CAD or Six Sigma – and see who you are competing with for talent!

Most In-demand Engineers

Ashley Rowe — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 12:00:18 +0000

We've noticed many Recruiters searching for information on Engineer hiring demand. Because of this high level of interest we examined overall Engineering hiring trends. Below are the most advertised engineer job titles.

Mechanical Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Manufacturing Engineer
Quality Engineer
Engineer
Project Engineer
Process Engineer
Design Engineer
Senior Mechanical Engineer
Senior Electrical Engineer

Since the recession bottomed out, hiring demand for Engineers has been on the rise. The volume of job ads increased 91% since June 2009 and surpassed pre-recession levels in March 2011. A new high was seen during March 2012 with more than 162,000 jobs advertised online.

Hiring Demand Growth Chart for Engineer Positions – 4 Year Hiring Trend

: SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

Industries with the most demand for Engineers are:

Engineering Services
All Other Business Support Services
Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing
Executive Search Firms
Computer Systems Design Services
Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing
Aircraft Manufacturing
Administrative Manufacturing and General Management Consulting Services
Research & Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
All Other Support Services

As might be expected, recruiting throughout the country is more likely to be difficult. However, this is with some exceptions. Our Hiring Scale™ heat map shows the difficulty levels of recruiting for Engineers in the US. The green areas are the cities with the best recruiting conditions. These include Palm Bay (Florida), Bingham (New York), Poughkeepsie (New York), Casper (Wyoming) and Houma (Louisiana).

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

Houston, TX had the most demand for Engineers while Schaumburg, IL experienced the highest increase in demand over the past year. On average job ads are posted online for 45 days, just over 6 weeks. This time can be reduced by posting ads in cities like Dover, DE. Hiring conditions may not be improved in this area, but average posting period is less, which can indicate that time-to-hire might be quicker. Below is a snapshot of the posting period heat map.

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

Otherwise, employers can recruit in the metropolitan areas that have favorable recruiting conditions to lessen time-to-hire. Recruiters can also look to get involved with schools and programs to attract job candidates. In a LinkedIn discussion on "Are we educating enough tech, science, and engineers to fill the demand of employers in the US?" an Executive Vice President of a Staffing Service says he visits colleges with his association to talk to students about a career in Engineering. They also take this a step further and offer scholarships to inner city kids interested in the field. In his case, he was talking about careers in Information Technology. This same practice can be employed in different fields. Do you have any strategies you use to help you fill engineering jobs faster?

View heat maps of hiring difficulty levels, volume of job ads, average posting periods and more with a free trial of WANTED Analytics™.

Analytics Users, log in, enter the Engineering title under occupation and your location to view this information.

Is Houston a Hot Spot for Engineers?

Abby Lombardi — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:00:34 +0000

Engineers have seen inconsistent hiring demand over the past few years, yet as one of the STEM fields, seem to always bounce back with increased volumes of job ads. The past few months we have started to see a decline in the number of available positions – this is often predicted to be "seasonal" since hiring historically has slowed during the last half of the year. While demand may be dropping nationwide, there are a few places that are actually still growing at a very fast pace. We thought we'd take a look at one of these places – Houston, Texas – and how recruiters in this area may be affected by growing demand.

Hiring Demand for Engineers – 4 Year Nationwide Hiring Trend

Source: WANTED Analytics

While the nationwide hiring demand for engineers has declined by almost 10% since March 2012, demand in the Houston metro area has grown by 11%. It can also be noted that Houston has seen the highest demand for engineers of any US city every month since February, when it overtook Los Angeles as the city with the most online engineering job ads. While demand dropped in the middle of the recession, it has steadily and quickly grown and is now higher than pre-recession demand.

Hiring Demand for Engineers in Houston, TX – 4 Year Hiring Trend

Source: WANTED Analytics

So what kinds of Engineers are companies in Houston looking for? The 10 most in-demand engineering job titles in this area are:

Mechanical Engineer
Project Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Process Engineer
Engineer
Manufacturing Engineer
Reservoir Engineer
Senior Process Engineer
Quality Engineer
Senior Mechanical Engineer

Also, here are the 5 skills that are most commonly included in engineering job ads in the Houston metro area:

Project management
Microsoft Office
Quality Assurance (QA)
Autodesk AutoCAD
Microsoft PowerPoint

Fast growing demand for Engineers in Houston has caused recruiting conditions to become more difficult. Our Hiring Scale shows that jobs will be harder to fill than in most other cities nationwide and are likely to take about 6.5 weeks to fill in Houston. However, there are some areas near Houston that are currently experiencing better recruiting conditions and may be a source of additional candidates. Some of these cities include Houma, Louisiana and both Austin and Dallas, Texas. By targeting job ads in these areas and sourcing potential candidates, employers in Houston will see less competition from other companies to attract talent, larger candidate pools to source from, and are likely to shorten the time it takes to fill an open job. For example, it takes just 5 weeks on average to fill an engineering job in Houma, LA. While an employer in Houston may need to relocate a candidate, this may be a better option since the job will be filled more than 1 week faster.

Hiring Scale for Engineering Jobs in Houston, Texas

Source: WANTED Analytics

Are you recruiting for Engineers? Find out average salaries, posting period, candidate supply, and hiring demand in your area and compare them to Houston with a free trial of WANTED Analytics.

Hiring Isn't Lean for Six Sigma Engineers

Abby Lombardi — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:58:55 +0000

Six Sigma is commonly required for Engineering job applicants. We've seen the number of employers that require this knowledge or a specific Six Sigma certification increase 28%. In June, more than 12,000 job ads for Engineers with Six Sigma experience were available online.

Hiring Demand for Six Sigma Engineers – 4 Year Hiring Trend

Source: WANTED Analytics

There are a variety of Six Sigma certifications that are available for Engineers. The most commonly required in online job ads are:

Six Sigma black belt
American Society for Quality (ASQ)
Six Sigma green belt
Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)
Six Sigma certification

In addi tion, we see that many of the specific skills that are required of candidates are quality related:

Project Management
Lean manufacturing
Business Process improvement
Product development/management
Quality Assurance (QA)
Microsoft Office
Quality Systems

With demand increasing, our Hiring Scale shows that Recruiters are likely to have a difficult time sourcing candidates and filling jobs. Areas with higher than average growth will see even more challenges. For example, Houston, Texas saw the number of job ads increase 37% in June compared to last year. However, the local talent pool has not grown at the same pace. Here, job openings take longer to fill than on average – about 47 days.

Hiring Scale for Six Sigma Engineers in Houston, TX

Source: WANTED Analytics

If you are recruiting for a Six Sigma Engineer, you should also be aware that they can go by several job titles. Make sure you expand your searches to include these titles when you are looking for resumes: Quality Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Process Engineer, Supplier Quality Engineer, and Quality Manager.

Are you recruiting for Engineers with Six Sigma certifications or experience? Find out how hard-to-fill these jobs will be in your area with the free online Hiring Scale. Tell us where the job is located and we'll show you a Hiring Scale, average salary information, who you are competing with to attract candidates, and where you can find hidden talent pools.

Most Commonly Required Engineering Skills & Certifications

Abby Lombardi — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:53:15 +0000

More than 14,000 employers are currently have online job listings for engineers, one of the most demanded and most difficult-to-recruit fields. Many times, engineers are required to have specific skills related to the industry they work in. We thought it would be interesting to take a look at the most commonly required tools, technologies, and other skill sets in online job ads for engineers.

Project management
Microsoft Office
Product development/management
Quality Assurance (QA)
Six Sigma
Microsoft PowerPoint
Autodesk AutoCAD
Quality control
Product design
Business Process Improvement

In addition, we looked at the certifications most commonly required of engineering candidates.

Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information Clearance (TS/SCI)
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
Engineer-in-Training (EIT)
National Electric Code certification (NEC)
American Society of Quality (ASQ)

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