DALLAS — Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, so let’s talk about a desire that many of us have been having — to find a new job.
I know: How romantic! But it kind of is… because as a worker right now, you may be more wanted than you’ve ever been.
Robert Half, a well-regarded human resource consulting firm, is out with a new nationwide survey of employers. The company has also shared more granular data on the Dallas area. The company says 57% of local companies plan to hire in the first half of this year.
You almost have the luxury right now of swiping right or left to find the perk you’re looking for.
Robert Half says 57% of companies here are raising salaries; 48% of local employers are open to remote options or exploring workers in other cities; 40% are offering signing bonuses; 31% are giving more paid time off; and 33% are loosening education, skills and experience requirements.
Even if you don’t exactly fit a job description, but you’re interested, apply anyway! You may have a shot.
Beware boredom on the job
But corporate suitors beware: just like with a relationship, work can become stale.
In a separate survey of LinkedIn users, Robert Half found that one-third of professionals surveyed report that they’re bored for more than half their workday.
So, just like with love, if you want to keep them, check in on them and help them to grow.
But don’t overwhelm them, because Texans have been quitting like crazy and getting hired like crazy in recent months.
RELATED: 1.28 million Texans quit their jobs in just 3 months. But they didn't necessarily stop working
Quitting and looking for jobs
According to seasonally adjusted figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from May 2021 through November 2021, Texans quit 2,721,000 jobs and got hired for 4,079,000 jobs.
Interesting tidbit: Google has been looking at what types of jobs people are seeking. Google says that in Dallas, these were the top five job-related searches over the last year:
- How to become a notary
- How to become a real estate agent
- How to become an insurance agent
- How to become an amazon seller
- How to become a freight broker
Notary and real estate agent searches were among the most popular nationwide, too.
RELATED: 17 Texas cities make top 100 list of highly recommended locations for remote workers, data firm says
COVID vaccines and unemployment benefits
Finally — let’s talk about a specific kind of break up — last year Governor Abbott ordered that employees couldn’t be required to get vaccinated if they had a religious or medical exemptions, including if they had recovered from COVID.
The Texas Workforce Commission told WFAA it has gotten 1,388 reports about Texas employers who are still mandating vaccinations.
If someone refuses the shots and loses their job, TWC said if they’re covered by the governor’s order, they are "unlikely" to be denied unemployment benefits.
But TWC said the agency doesn’t keep stats on how many vaccine refusers lost their jobs for their stance, and then received unemployment.