The purpose of this initiative is to provide insight into the regional workforce supply-demand balance and spearhead discussions on possible solutions. The first part of the study focused on gaining an in-depth understanding of current job vacancies, and ultimately, demystifying the (often cited) issue of “30,000 unfilled jobs” in the Pittsburgh region. This report summarizes key trends in online job postings between 2005 and 2010, including postings by occupations, wages offered, education required, industry sector, hiring employer, and geographic location. The report concludes with TRWIB recommendations and an outline of next steps.

The online job posting analysis has significantly improved our understanding of the current demand for
talent. Despite of the data limitations, several important dynamics were revealed:

There is an imbalance between available jobs and unemployed people: If all posted jobs were filled, the unemployment rate would be 4.7%.
Needed skills are clearly defined on the occupational level; over 60% of the posted jobs required more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree: clear implications for training and appropriate use of training funds can be drawn based on this information.
Most of the skills in demand are applicable across several industry sectors: Jobseekers have broader opportunities and should be encouraged to explore and enhance their skills in different settings.
A majority of the posted jobs offer wages significantly above the recommended family sustaining wage level: Filling these jobs would directly impact the regional economy.