America's Most Wanted: Where to Find This Year's Most In-Demand Jobs

Randstad's 2016 Hot Jobs list names three of the most in-demand jobs across six key fields

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Feb 03, 2016, 08:15 ET

ATLANTA, Feb. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As employers and job seekers take their respective positions in this year's talent hunt, both can benefit from insight on which roles will be highly recruited for in the months ahead. To help both hiring managers and candidates best position themselves in the hiring equation, Randstad US, one of the largest staffing and HR services companies in the United States, has enlisted the expertise of its national recruiting team and partnered with Economic Research Institute (ERI) to publish its list of 2016 Hot Jobs.

Click here to download more detailed information about this year's hottest jobs.

With 2.7 million jobs added in 2015, capping off a two-year period that experienced the best stretch of hiring since the 1990s, many economists predict the country's labor market will continue to see steady growth in 2016. However, even in an expanding labor market, competition by talent to secure the highest paying jobs and efforts by employers to attract them are expected to remain as fierce as ever.

Additionally, employers developing their talent acquisition strategies should consider findings from Randstad's latest Employee Engagement Study, which uncovered nearly half (49%) of employees believe they need to leave their current employer to advance in their careers. This suggests a high potential for skilled candidates to seek out new opportunities in their field and should provide employers the impetus to stay deeply connected to and ahead of current talent trends.

Randstad's 2016 Hot Jobs predictions include three top roles within engineering, finance and accounting, human resources (HR), information technology (IT), manufacturing and logistics and office and administration.

Field or Industry	Top Three In-Demand Jobs	National Average Salaries & Wages	Our Industry Experts Say...
Engineering	Manufacturing Engineer Mechanical Engineer Electrical Engineer	Manufacturing Engineer: $79,814 with three to 10 years of experience Mechanical Engineer: $84,714 with three to 10 years of experience Electrical Engineer: $90,295 with three to 10 years of experience	"Engineers will be highly sought after this year, especially within organizations that have not typically required engineers in the past. The healthcare and entertainment industries are just two examples of sectors that will look to hire more engineers in 2016 to support new and innovative technologies." – Richard Zambacca, President, Randstad Engineering
Finance and Accounting	Senior Accountant Cost Accountant Finance (Financial Analysis and Planning) Manager	Senior Accountant: $61,000 to $85,000 Cost Accountant: $51,000 to $74,000; management positions can expect $85,000 to $135,000 Finance (Financial Analysis and Planning) Manager: $82,000 to $130,000	"Technology will continue to transform the way finance and accounting teams operate and influence decision-making within their organizations. While technology can present a range of challenges, such as increased regulations and risks and the need for talent with specialized skills, it also presents a tremendous opportunity to elevate the role of the finance leader. The key will be balancing the day-to-day tasks of their team with the increasing demand to help shape company strategy through the use of a comprehensive data approach." – Kathryn Bolt, Group President, Randstad Professionals and Tatum, Randstad US
Human Resources (HR)	Human Resources Generalist Learning and Development Manager Human Resources Business Partner	Human Resources Generalist: $45,000 to $67,000 Learning and Development Manager: $65,000 to $90,000 Human Resources Business Partner: $85,000 to $120,000	"While HR professionals with a broad base of knowledge are still in very high demand, we do anticipate that organizations will gravitate this year toward candidates with more specific skill sets to cope with an increasingly complex workforce environment. HR specialists must bring deeper expertise to the executive team around critical matters such as talent acquisition and retention, succession and compensation planning as well as workforce engagement—all while contributing to more informed business decisions." – Kathryn Bolt, Group President, Randstad Professionals and Tatum, Randstad US
Information Technology (IT)	Project Manager Software Engineer (Java Focus) Network and Security Engineers	Project Manager: $73,000 to $121,000, with an average of $98,000 Software Engineer: $72,000 to $109,000, with an average of $90,000 Network and Security Engineers: $52,000 to $137,000, with an average of $93,000	"More and more candidates working within STEM fields, specifically IT, will be highly sought after as more complex issues related to cyber risk and business compliance continue to arise. More broadly, companies will also seek experienced IT professionals who possess soft skills, like strong writing and communication abilities." – Bob Dickey, Group President, Technology & Engineering, Randstad US
Manufacturing and Logistics	Machine Operator Forklift Operator Laborer – Warehouse	Machine Operator: $19.08 per hour with six years of experience Forklift Operator: $16.22 per hour with six years of experience Laborer – Warehouse: $14.13 per hour with five years of experience	"As the economy continues to improve and consumer spending responds positively, manufacturers will look to expand their business, which necessitates a consistent pipeline of skilled talent. However, many manufacturing talent will quickly accept new employment offers to advance their pay grade. This means that in addition to paying competitively, hiring managers need to vigilantly address the full scope of talent attraction and retention options, such as proactively offering career development opportunities or performance-based pay increases." – Traci L. Fiatte, Group President, Randstad US
Office and Administration	Intermediate-Level Administrative Assistant Intermediate-Level Customer Service Entry-Level Customer Service	Intermediate-Level Administrative Assistant: $20.43 per hour with six years of experience Intermediate-Level Customer Service: $19.02 per hour with six years of experience Entry-Level Customer Service: $14.35 per hour with one year of experience	"The administrative role continues to evolve, particularly as new technologies are introduced into office and customer service workflows. Additionally, many organizations are coping with baby boomers retiring at a rapid pace by advancing current administrative employees into more senior roles, rather than replacing the position outright. These trends create great opportunity for administrative talent with exceptional technology skills and the ability to interact well with business leaders or a sophisticated, demanding customer base." – Traci L. Fiatte, Group President, Randstad US

About Randstad US
Randstad US is a wholly owned subsidiary of Randstad Holding nv, a $22.9 billion global provider of HR services. As one of the largest staffing organizations in the United States, Randstad provides temporary, temporary-to-hire and permanent placement services each week to over 100,000 people through its network of more than 900 branches and client-dedicated locations.

Employing over 5,300 recruiting experts, the company is a top provider of outsourcing, staffing, consulting and projects and workforce solutions within the areas of Engineering, Finance & Accounting, Healthcare, Human Resources, IT, Legal, Manufacturing & Logistics, Office & Administration, Pharma and Sales & Marketing. Learn more at www.randstadusa.com and access Randstad's panoramic U.S. thought leadership knowledge center through its Workforce360 site that offers valuable insight into the latest economic indicators and HR trends shaping the world of work.

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SOURCE Randstad US