Despite the uncertainty and economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, apartment jobs hiring was resilient during the second quarter of 2020, according to the latest report from the National Apartment Association.
In the June report of the National Apartment Association’s Education Institute (NAAEI) Apartment Jobs Snapshot, job openings in the apartment industry comprised nearly 44 percent of positions available in real-estate sector jobs across the county.
This level of available apartment jobs is well above the 5-year average of 31.5 percent.
Many property management companies have increased hiring and staffing efforts in preparation for pent-up apartment demand due to stay at home orders.
Property manager jobs in high demand due to Covid-19
In terms of specific jobs, property-manager positions were the most sought after. Property management positions were in high demand during Q2 2020 and had the largest growth in demand, increasing three percentage points. Property managers are on the front lines for ensuring that all COVID-19 safety precautions are in effect and making residents feel safe in their communities.
Around the country, Seattle, Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. ranked highest for apartment-job demand.
Leasing momentum for student housing is increasing as universities plan to open on-campus classes, resulting in high demand for leasing consultants. However, this could be subject to change depending on pandemic issues in certain states.
Student housing
During the past 12 months ending June 30, 2020, demand for student housing management professionals was highest in Columbus, College Station, Chicago, Austin, and Tempe.
Leasing consultants were in highest demand, accounting for almost 14.0 percent of all student housing job postings. As of late June, leasing velocity for the fall semester has regained momentum, only 2.3 percentage points down from 2019. According to CBRE, demand for on-campus student housing has remained steady since 92.0 percent of international students have stayed in the U.S and 80 percent of American students studying abroad have returned home.
Summary:
The apartment sector often competes with the hospitality and retail sectors for personnel with similar experience and skills. Customer service, communication, and organizational skills were among the most desired skills across all three sectors.
The hiring back of retail and hospitality employees has intensified competition for talent, particularly since the labor pool has begun to shrink. In June, the retail and hospitality sectors led the US in job growth. The leisure and hospitality industry hired back 2.1 million employees. The retail trade hired 740,000 people, nearly doubling the job growth it made in May.
Cities That Keep the Most Jobs During Downturns
