Survey: Hiring up 10 percent in 2013

An Employment Security Department survey of Washington employers estimated that job vacancies in the state rose by 23 percent between the fall of 2012 and fall of 2013, while hiring rose by nearly 10 percent. Employers reported that vacant positions remained open last fall on average for about 66 days, a dramatic leap from the 19 day average for job openings in the fall of 2012.

In fall 2013, the average estimated hourly wage for new hires was $13.69 statewide, up slightly from the $13.48 average wage reported a year earlier.

The twice-yearly job vacancy and hiring survey is sent to about 12,000 Washington employers.

The survey estimated some 86,600 job vacancies in fall 2013, up from 70,400 the previous year. Hiring in fall 2013 rose to nearly 209,100 jobs, up from about 190,200 in 2012.

More than half of the state’s job vacancies were in Western Washington urban areas. Statewide, urban areas accounted for nearly 82 percent of all new hires from July through September 2013, according to the survey.

Still, a large number of unfilled jobs were for farmworkers and laborers, with 13,037 job vacancies representing 15 percent of the total. Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting employment showed the largest number of job openings by industry group, with 13,400 openings during the survey period.

More than half of job openings required applicants with experience and nearly one-third required a special license or certification.

Of the 25 occupations with the most hiring, the highest offers went to secondary school teachers, excluding special education or career/technical education instructors, at $29.66 per hour; registered nurses at $25.62 per hour; and business operations specialists at $21.58 per hour.