More jobs than job candidates in Branch County

The labor force in Branch County has grown by more than 600 people since Jan. 1 to more than 19,100. The number of vacant jobs exceeds those looking for work.

There were only 679 looking for jobs in April, according to the latest county statistics provided by the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, a 3.6% unemployment rate.

The number of people employed in Branch County was at its highest level, 18,437, since February 2020, the month before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Employers continue seeking candidates to fill open positions that businesses consider essential. Billboards, Facebook pleas, and signs along the streets ask for someone to fill jobs at increasing pay rates.

"It's gotten better the past year," said Coldwater manpower Manager Jessica Carboni. "But we still definitely have more jobs than candidates that are available. But we've definitely have seen a difference. We do have hundreds and hundreds of job openings, but still a shortage of workers."

Carboni said employers are less restrictive on who they hire.

"I think a lot of the clients have been more lenient on checking backgrounds," she said. "A lot of that has been eliminated. So we're not really having a struggle with our candidates coming through the door, not being qualified enough for any of our job openings."

With more jobs than those out of work, it would seem every job should be filled.

Jakki Bungart-Bibb, director for Michigan Works! Southwest, said numbers don't tell the whole story.

"I think there's a wide variety of reasons why there are openings that are not being filled," she said. "Some of the anecdotal information that I receive is that childcare is a huge, huge issue."

Statistics show during the pandemic, with schools closed and operating over the internet, many women left the workforce to provide home care for their children.

"They are the ones that haven't gone back yet," she said. "Most of what I'm hearing is because, not only is there not affordable childcare, there's just no childcare available."

Daycare centers can't find qualified employees. Regulations to comply with COVID-19 restrictions grew, complicating operations.

At Michigan Works! "We are seeing people who want to work, but they have barriers keeping them from working, whether it be childcare, housing or transportation."

Branch County's largest employer, the Clemens pork plant in Coldwater, provides housing. It busses in employees from outside Branch County.

"We also see employers who aren't ready for the type of job seekers that we're seeing with all these barriers," Bungart-Bibb said.

"That was an issue with childcare where folks didn't take jobs because of their childcare," Carboni said. "But again, the clients have been more lenient on being more flexible to work around that. So that's helped."

Bungart-Bibb agreed.

"There are people who are ready to work. They're looking for flexible schedules. They're looking for remote work," she said. "They're looking for things our employers weren't doing, pre-pandemic. And we are starting to see the employers are trying to adjust to that now."

Carboni said employment slowed during COVID-19 with rescue plan checks helping support families. Now those stopped.

"So now there's definitely been an increase in foot traffic. More folks are coming in and applying and going to work," she said.

Manpower's main job openings are in area manufacturing.

So a lot of that is machine operator, picker, packers, loaders, material handlers, and forklift operators," Carboni said.

Michigan Works! Lists top job openings in the four-county region as registered nurses, retail salespersons, and front-line supervisors of retail sales workers.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: More jobs than job candidates in Branch County