It’s Labor Day, and all we can say is, our fingers are crossed for more labor! The job market is still a roller-coaster ride. On the down side, July and August were very sluggish for temporary employees and direct-hire candidates. One candidate we spoke to this week is in the middle of home foreclosure. An old-name San Francisco law firm announced layoffs a couple of weeks ago. And we won’t even begin to rehash what the news is telling us.
On the other hand, the Bay Area seems to be holding its own better than many parts of the country, as far as business is concerned. We still feel that a general sense of optimism, mixed with caution, is prevalent among our clients. Several of our law firm clients report that work for their attorneys has been steady, even BUSY! While some general corporate work has slowed down, most firms are demonstrating steady improved business over the past 4 or 5 months. We even heard that a Head of Group Partner in one firm canceled his September vacation because his group is so busy. Safe to say, that doesn’t happen often!! A legal secretary informs us that he noticed about 8 or 10 positions becoming available in the last 2 or 3 weeks, for which he is qualified–another sign of hiring activity that didn’t exist over the summer.
Our assumption is that firms currently have enough staff to handle the increased workload, without necessarily needing to add staff. In many cases, the firms are also being overly cautious. But, eventually, caution will give way to confidence and stability. And when the call comes, Fusilier Business Services will be ready with exceptional, enthusiastic legal candidates!