I just heard the latest labor market information for Minnesota from DEED Regional Analyst Manager Kyle Uphoff. I’ve seen him speak three times this year already, and I always get new information to help job seekers.

First off, the job market is improving. There are millions more job openings across the country this year than there were last year. That’s good news!

In addition, Kyle made a good point about all recessions. He said:

 The industries that were hiring before the recession are usually not the same industries that will hire after a recession.

Recessions change economies. An industry that was growing before a recession might not recover or add new jobs after recession. Likewise, new industries can come up and hire lots of people.

For example, three years ago there were a lot of job openings related to the housing market, including real estate and construction. As the economy recovers from The Great Recession, construction is one of the industries that is slowest to recover. It might be 2020 before we see the same level of employment in the construction industries that we did in 2008.

So, what does this mean for job seekers?

1. Know which skill sets employers are looking for today, and will be looking for in the future.
2. Find out how your current skills fit with the new job market.

How do you do this?

Simple, go to mySkills myFuture and type in the title of the job with you have the most experience. The website will give you a list of other occupations that use similar skills to your past job. Some might be similar to your past jobs. Some might be in different career clusters.

Knowing where your skills are needed is an important step in looking for the right jobs for you.

Next, click on the title of an occupation that looks interesting to you to find out if it is a job that employers are likely to hire,  he pay range, and if you are qualified to do the job.

You can also use mySkills myFuture to find training options if you need more training.

Remember, the job market is recovering. Employers are adding more jobs everyday. But these might not be the same jobs that went away during the recession. Check to find out how your skills fit in the new economy.

Your Move: Enter your job title in mySkills myFuture now.

Also from DeniseMpls:

• One Thing You Need to Know About Great Recession
• Good Job Search Tools Never Go Out of Style
• 8 Tips for Dealing with Career Changes