The Results Are In: What Are Your Job Market Predictions for 2015?

As 2014 wrapped up, we asked Movin’ On Up readers to reflect on the year by sharing their predictions for the job market in 2015. It’s a question we’ve asked for several years in a row, and the results have been anything but consistent.

Three Years of Results
This year, the majority of readers (35%) answered that the job market is “good enough to test the waters and see what else is out there for me.” In 2014, 35% of readers decided that “things are going to get worse before they get better,” while 35% of readers selected “I’m definitely getting a job offer or promotion this year” in 2013.

This trend suggests that 2013 was a year of hope for many job seekers who had an optimistic outlook after the Great Recession. In 2014, however, those hopes were dashed as job seekers may have shifted to a negative outlook on the job market. This year, it seems that job seekers are taking a more neutral stance. While the market is improving, the majority of readers believe it’s strong enough to up their job seeking efforts in 2015.

Other responses to this year’s poll included 27% of readers who decided that “things are going to get worse before they get better,” 17% of readers who reported “I’m definitely getting a job offer or promotion this year,” and 11% who chose “I’m staying where I am. I don’t expect things to get better.”

Additionally, 9% of respondents selected the “Other” option in our poll and left responses including:

• “I’m still in school, so I’m waiting to get a different job.”
• “Structural income problems in America need addressing.”
• “Expect to stay unemployed.”

Predictions for the New Year
As we enter 2015, many people are testing the job searching waters. And according to MarketWatch, it may be a good time to do so. “Businesses are already responding,” the website reported in a recent study of the U.S. economy. “Job openings in November [2014] hit the second highest level in 14 years. In another telltale sign, people are quitting jobs at the fastest rate in five years. Research shows that people who quit one job for another typically do so because they are offered higher pay.”

Prepare for Your Job Search
If you’re one of those job seekers who is hopeful enough to send your resume around or even try for a career change, make sure you’re prepared to reach your goal. For an additional boost to your efforts, check out these recent Movin’ On Up articles:

• 7 Tips for Setting Your 2015 Job Search Goals
• Overcoming a Tough Job Search
• Getting Past the Recruiter

And don’t forget about the “New Year, New Job” online event hosted by Express Employment Professionals on Wednesday, Jan. 21. For more information about the event, click here.

Do you notice any trends in the past three years’ poll results? Do you think the job market is on its way up? Let us know in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.