It's a weird job market right now, one that's characterized by — simultaneously — layoffs sweeping across knowledge industries, and other sectors still desperately scrambling to staff up.
Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the rate of hires is just a little down from where it was a year ago — 3.7% this past February compared to 3.9% in February 2023. Openings for jobs have dropped from a rate of 6.0% in February 2023 to a rate of 5.3% this past February.
Tuesday's news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics said February job openings "changed little at 8.8 million" since January. The news release also pointed out "the number and rate of hires were little changed," in addition to other areas that didn't see big changes.
For some white-collar workers, especially those in tech, it might look like a bleak job-hunting landscape.
However, plenty of jobs are in demand, from accountants to civil engineers. Amid a skilled trade shortage, there's a plumber deficiency according to Bloomberg — one shortage among others that are still festering.
"Job postings and job openings have pulled back from their highs over two years ago, but demand for new workers is still strong in several sectors," Nick Bunker, economic research director for North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told Business Insider in a March statement.
Business Insider reached out to career sites to see what demand is looking like. Job-search and networking site Handshake, a platform largely for college students and recent college graduates, said its roles with the most job postings were powered by employers in government, law and politics, retail stores, energy, and education. Across industries, here are the roles with a multitude of openings, or an urgent need to hire.