Where the Jobs Are

Time Magazine’s recent cover story on finding jobs contained the results of a study from the University of Maryland on just which companies are creating jobs. The study ranged over the past 25 years and the following pattern has held true: young companies add jobs faster and a third of all new jobs come from start-ups. John Haltiwanger, the study’s author, concluded that “These are the rocket ships of the economy”.

One way to apply this data is to consider the potential landing spots for your top performers, the ones you cannot afford to lose. Typically we benchmark pay against established companies and think more about base than incentives or especially stock. Based on this study, it appears top performers have small companies to consider, too, and might look forward to less complexity and having a straight line to the top which small companies provide. As the number of jobs grows, post-recession economies invite employees to refresh themselves from the layoffs and pressure they faced when times were tough with their current employers. Small companies and start-ups offer alternative workstyles for fresh starts.