Concentrating on the “Cs” — culture, community, career, college connections — helps Virginia businesses attract skilled workers at a time when the unemployment rate is unusually low.
Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.1 percent in July, the lowest level since 2007. Even companies in areas of the state with relatively high unemployment rates are finding it hard to fill jobs in some sought-after specialties.
It’s a widespread problem. Forty-five percent of companies around the world say they can’t find the skills they need, according to the Manpower 2018 Talent Shortage Survey. For companies with 250 or more employees the number is even higher, with 67 percent reporting talent shortages this year. Most of the top 10 in-demand roles today require post-secondary training and but not always a university degree.
Software company Appian counts on its culture — one that prizes discussion and debate — to set it apart in Northern Virginia’s highly competitive market. The company recently announced plans to move its headquarters from Reston to Tysons Corner. Both communities are in Fairfax County, which had an unemployment rate of 2.4 percent in July.
