Survey offers insight into today's labor market

Survey offers insight into today's labor market

New research from the consultancy Wanted Technologies suggests much of America's unemployment problem may stem from a mismatch between where the jobs are and where the workers are, and it lists top places to find dream employment.

The company says U.S. employers advertise more than 3 million jobs each week, but CEO Bruce Murray suggests markets with the highest absolute number of job ads are not necessarily the easiest places to secure a position.

Rather, he says, "the best place to look for work is where there are many jobs advertised and also where there are very few qualified applicants."

The poll's results are based on the gap between local demand for and supply of workers in specific occupations, and cities where the demand exceeds supply - and therefore where it is easiest to find a specific job - include Lakeland, Florida, with an apparent shortage of secondary school teachers and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News area where paralegals and legal assistants are in short supply.

Meanwhile, registered nurses may readily find a job in Las Vegas, Nevada, while employment paradise for physical therapists appears to be the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region in the state of Washington.

As most of these careers require a college degree, busy adults may consider enrolling in an online program to boost their skills and move on to a higher-paying career.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average earnings for men with high school education were $42,466 in 2007, while those with bachelors degrees earned twice as much at $88,843.