HYANNIS – Near historic low unemployment continues on Cape Cod, even after a shift from the summer to the shoulder season.
The unemployment rate on Cape Cod was 3.1 percent in September, which was down 0.3 percent from the previous year and the same rate as August.
MassHire Cape & Islands Workforce Board Executive Director David Augustinho says he is a little dumbfounded that the rate would be the same coming out of the tourist season.
“I think part of what it speaks to is the relative strength of the year-round economy,” Augustinho said. “That’s partly why I think we are holding our own.”
Construction and landscaping were industries which took a long time to rebound from the last recession.
“They are at levels higher than they were prior to the Great Recession,” Augustinho said. “Those are a couple areas where we are at very high levels of employment.”
The industries also continue through the shoulder season.
Augustinho said there is just no source of workforce for available job opportunities.
“Employers are in a situation where they are stealing employees from each other,” he said.
Augustinho said he thinks it is time for employers to distinguish themselves by being “good employers” through offering higher wage rates or more benefits.
“I know a lot of employers are doing things they never would have thought of doing ten or fifteen years ago to accommodate employees and try to make sure they can increase the number of employees,” Augustinho said.
He said it is just a crazy time on Cape Cod for employers.
“I know that there are construction companies that could be taking jobs right now that they have to pass up just because they don’t have enough employees to meet demand,” Augustinho said.
The workforce board will continue to skill up employees as they enter the career center in Hyannis.
“Anyone who is looking to better themselves, better their careers or haven’t been in the workforce for a while, we are definitely willing to train people to get into some of these better careers here,” Augustinho said.
Unemployment on Martha’s Vineyard, 2.6 percent, and Nantucket, 1.9 percent, was slightly up from August but down from last September.
The statewide rate for September was 3.2 percent which was down from 3.5 percent in August and last year.
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