The job market has experienced probably the most disruption in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many believed that 2022 would be different with the rollout of the vaccines, some trends are still here to stay.
Of course, some positions like remote designer jobs or AI specialists will grow in demand. But it is always better to see the bigger picture. Together with Jooble job aggregator experts, we’ve gathered 12 global trends that are shaping the work market.
12 Top Trends in the Job Market in 2022
#1. Remote Work is Here to Stay
Although many employers believe office to be a more productive space, more and more candidates are looking for remote opportunities. According to the Joblist report, 61% of the workers seriously consider remote positions in 2022.
And the new COVID variants, as well as the vaccination mandate adopted by roughly half of the companies, only endorse that.
#2. The Great Resignation Continues
What has started a year earlier is still trendy in 2022. About 3 out of 4 professionals have plans about resigning from their jobs in 12 months. The main reasons are payment, benefits, and better opportunities available.
Remote work allows widening the search for potential employers geographically.
#3. Inflation Outpaces Pay Raises
In the hunt for talent, companies are ready to provide higher rates. Overall, the raise was higher in last two years compared to the average 2% a year. But, inflation beats all of that.
It is still outpacing the payment growth, which means companies need to find other ways of attracting talent.
#4. Work Types Diversification
Not only remote work is on the rise, but also different types of cooperation. There are more postings for contract work now. More specialists are interested in self-employment and one-off commissions.
People value the flexibility of the schedule and load more.
#5. Shortening of Work Week
In 2019, Microsoft introduced a 4-day week in Japan. The company reports a 40% growth in productivity and less electricity consumption. And this is just one example of the trend to shorten work hours that is gaining traction.
Also, some employers might use this practice to compensate for the inability to raise wages.
#6. Mental Health and Wellness Benefits
Awareness of mental health adds to expected employees benefits. Wellness will be one of the new metrics to understand the professionals’ satisfaction.
According to the Gartner report of 2020, 94% of businesses started to invest significantly in wellbeing programs. Also, 85% increased their support of mental health benefits for employees.
#7. High Specialist Turnover
For some organizations, the resilience of schedule might mean high turnover rates. Professionals working from home full- or part-time have a weaker emotional and social connection to their workplace and colleagues.
It can make quitting easier.
#8. Automation
Technology allows automating many tasks and responsibilities. For instance, a lot of managerial tasks are already performed automatically (scheduling, approving, and reporting). The next software generation will optimize managers’ responsibilities even further.
It means that some companies will reduce managerial staff, and others will re-evaluate the responsibilities of such experts.
#9. Brands Integrity
Professionals care not only about payment and benefits but also about the ethics and the moral stand of the business. Brand-building shifts to having a specific position and mission.
There is a huge environmental impact as well as a focus on equality.
#10. Remote Tools for Monitoring
The software tools used for working from home are or will be used for performance monitoring. They will incorporate more metrics and data to see one’s activity and engagement.
#11. Physical Activity
Many people experience a reduction in their physical activity when working from home. Some of them claim sitting to be as harmful as smoking. Organizations will invest more time and effort in boosting physical actions among employees.
#12. Digital Nomads
There is a growing number of digital nomads – young professionals without kids traveling the world and working via the internet. They are less interested in full-time employment. This contributes to further normalization of job switching.
Conclusion
These job market trends have already impacted the global market. It is safe to say that many of them will persevere in the near future. Professionals are more aware of their worth. They are also interested in better and more flexible job opportunities.
