A survey from the National Association for Business Economics, conducted between December 23, 2019 and January 8, 2020, indicated an employment slowdown for the coming year. The declines were primarily found in the services, goods-producing, transportation, utilities, information, and communications industries. The slowdown was attributed to a number of factors, including the trade war with China and worker shortages. Even so, businesses were more optimistic about 2020, with 30% expecting the economy to grow between 2.1–3.0%. We all know how that turned out: According to a recent government report, the U.S. economy contracted 3.5% overall for 2020, and the unemployment rate reached as high as 14.8% during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Related: Remote hiring trends: What's in and out in 2021 Nevertheless, optimism rules Monster's annual Future of Work Global Survey, conducted among both workers and recruiters worldwide. "I fundamentally believe that we will be in a better position this year, especially in the second half of 2021," says Scott Gutz, CEO of the employment services giant. "We should expect more jobs and more candidates participating, and a lot more activity overall." The report highlights a number of challenges for the rest of the year, including mastering the new world of virtual recruiting and navigating skills gaps. "We're fully aware of the challenges the talent acquisition industry faces, including the broadening skills gap, the pandemic's impact on our mental health, and the need for more diverse workplaces," Gutz says. "Yet, despite these hurdles, Monster recognizes that the state of recruiting is strong and we are prepared to help job seekers and employers face future challenges together." Among those challenges is an employee expectation of work/life balance, as pandemic-era changes like remote flexibility and new health policies appear to be here to stay. Potential employees are also taking a good hard look at companies' diversity and inclusion efforts—a definite vulnerability point, with more than one in three global employers saying they don't even have a D&I strategy in place, according to the report. See our slideshow above for ten highlights from Monster's 2021 Future of Work survey, and click here to access the full report. Read more: |

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