Somebody's Got to be the Worst

What does Detroit have in common with Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami?

It ain't the weather, baby.

According to the latest data from job-search engine Juju.com, these cities rank as the most difficult areas to find a job in the United States. Detroit, of course, ranks tops. There won't be any choruses of “We're No. 1!” with that one.

It's just one more discouraging sign of the times here in The Mitten State. Even if I've got work, I read the job ads just in case. There's maybe one or two in my local newspaper where there used to be dozens. Friends who are actively seeking work say they are either under-qualified or cannot get interviews. Every week, I check out the bankruptcies column in Crain's Detroit. Every week, I expect to see more business names that I know or have written about.

It's like reading obituaries. Gruesome, but you cannot look away. I won't mention the foreclosed homes around me. But my neighbor just put her house up for sale at such a low price that they had to note it was not a bankruptcy sale right on the listing. And I supposedly live in a highly desirable neighborhood.

Sigh.

Juju calls this ranking its “Job Search Difficulty Index.” It is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed workers in each metro area as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the number of jobs in Juju's data base. As of this week, there are 20 unemployed people in Detroit for every open position. Slim pickings, indeed.

It's not that Juju is picking on Detroit – the fact that it is the WORST place in the country to find a job is hardly shocking, noted Juju.com Vice President Brendan Cruickshank. Rather, it means job seekers have to get a little smarter, work a little harder and try something new if they want to get hired in 2010, he said.

“The manufacturing sector has taken a major hit, and that's what caused this,” Cruickshank said. “That's hurt the area significantly, and the jobs aren't coming back.”

Uh, yeah. Michigan's 2009 unemployment rate averaged 14 percent -- more than 5 percentage points up from 2008 and almost 5 points worse than the rest of the nation. The Detroit News reported Wednesday that the state lost more than 200,000 payrolls jobs for the year.

What sectors are doing well? Education, health care, finance. Juju keeps track of all of that stuff, so Cruickshank said the jobs are in occupational therapy, sales, engineering and nursing. There also are lots of listings for tax professionals, given the upcoming April 15 deadline.

And here's something else that's hopeful – companies are listing temporary jobs. That means they are bringing in contract workers or temps to fill big orders. If those orders keep up, chances are the companies will keep the workers on the payroll as full timers, Cruickshank said. That's typically how it goes in a recession.

Cruickshank recommends Detroiters (or anyone else looking for work) watch the newspapers. When a company gets a big contract, see if they start listing jobs online. Do lots of networking. Find the recruiters at the hiring sites on LinkedIn and elsewhere. And he believes people should apply only for the jobs they are truly qualified for and avoid targeting any opening that comes up.

“People have to spend more time researching and less time applying,” Cruickshank said.

Oh, we will. It would be nice not to be No. 1.