The Bureau of Labor Statistics March Employment Report shows that employment continued its upward trend in leisure and hospitality, government, professional and businesses services and healthcare.
The businesses across from the pier at Avila beach are having no trouble finding employees who are willing to work.
“The hiring process has been pretty easy. A lot of people are looking for jobs,” said Daniel Martinez, Hats Unlimited employee.
“Hiring this season hasn’t been that hard for us. I go in pretty easy and we’ve had other people as well come in," said Hailey Gillihan, Hula Hut server.
Martinez says people seem ready and willing to work. So much so that hats unlimited has filled their previously open positions.
“We did have like flyers or postage of the hiring process, but at the moment we don’t need to hire anybody,” said Martinez.
According to the report, in the month of March, the nonfarm payroll employment rose by 236,000 — though there was little change to the unemployment rate at 3.5 percent and the number of unemployed persons at 5.8 million.
The report shows leisure and hospitality added 72,000 jobs in march, though that number is slightly lower than the average monthly gain of 95,000 jobs throughout the prior 6 months. The areas showing the most growth were jobs in food services and drinking places where employment rose by 50,000 in March.
As summer draws near many college students could also join the workforce.
“Yeah we mainly hire students so like if you do have school he does hire for summer jobs so that’s nice,” said Martinez.
Higher wages go hand in hand with higher employment numbers — according to the report, in March the average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 9 cents to $33.18 per hour. The average work week also decreased for those employees by about one tenth of an hour.
View the full March employment reporthere.
