BOSTON — While unemployment is high, there are some job openings out there, but there are reasons why people aren't taking them.
Tens of thousands of people are filing for unemployment in Massachusetts. The Department of Labor says that about 181,000 people filed a claim in the week of March 22 alone.
David Lewis, the CEO of New England-based human relations consulting firm OperationsInc, said the job market they are entering is split in two.
"It really depends right now on what position you are seeking and what your salary level had been in the past or what you are seeking now, if you are in the under $50,000 a year market and you're willing to do something on a physical labor perspective, there is a lot of opportunity out there, there are a ton of essential businesses that we are using right now that can't find enough workers," said Lewis.
Boston 25 News found several openings at grocery stores, delivery services and nursing homes, so why aren’t they being filled?
"The challenge is going to be are you comfortable leaving your home and are you comfortable going into a workplace," said Lewis. "That's a safety question that each individual has to make a decision about."
Job opportunities at a higher salary level drop off significantly and because there are now so few, it's very competitive.
>> 25 Investigates: What to do if you’re out of work and awaiting unemployment benefits
"It may be best to figure out how to stretch your cash as long as possible, take advantage of the various stimulus packages and unemployment and spend all your time right now preparing for when the market turns putting together a better LinkedIn profile putting together a better resume, stabling a job search business plan, all of those are good steps," said Lewis.
Experts say it will be another two months or so before the official unemployment rate begins to reflect the full effect of COVID-19 on the labor market.
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RESOURCES:
- Massachusetts Coronavirus Information
- Boston Coronavirus Information
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