Looking for a job? Here’s why Washington is one of best places in US to find work
With businesses scrambling to fill positions as states roll back COVID-19 restrictions, it’s a great time to be job hunting.
Wannabe-hires may want to start looking in Washington after a new report ranked the state No. 3 on its list of Best & Worst States for Jobs.
WalletHub used two key metrics to determine which of the 50 states are the best to find a job: Job Market and Economic Environment.
The personal finance company evaluated a state’s job market by looking at factors such as job opportunities, employment growth and unemployment rate, among others.
Economic environment was determined by evaluating a state’s median annual income, monthly average starting salary, share of workers with multiple jobs, and other factors.
Washington nabbed the No. 1 spot for economic environment and ranked 14th in job market. The Evergreen State also came in first for the highest monthly starting salary.
In Washington, the leisure and hospitality sector gained 8,100 new jobs in April. Compared to this time in 2020, the industry has regained more than 62,000 jobs.
The sudden onslaught of job openings coincides with the state’s official reopening date, June 30, when COVID-19 restrictions like six feet between tables and a ban on bar seating will expire, The News Tribune reported. Restaurants are preparing for a hectic summer.
The hospitality industry is short 90,000 workers nationwide, Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association, told the Tri-City Herald.
Restaurants are getting creative to fill their openings.
Texas Roadhouse is planning a nationwide mass hiring event in June, and a Subway sandwich shop in Kennewick is advertising it’s hiring on the spot.
Anton attributes the shortage in the industry to things like a lack of child care and unemployment paying more than some entry-level jobs. Restaurants and hotels now have to compete with other industries for workers.
This story was originally published June 9, 2021 at 11:20 AM.