First I would like to say it was good to see a posting discussing the job market that went beyond the familiar "low pay" refrain. In the searches I have been involved in during the past 2 years in the Archives, Museum, and Historical Society realms there has never been a lack of qualified applicants despite the fact that the compensation was not above the norm. After years of stories of 70-100 over-qualified applicants for low-paying jobs, lets not get too worried over searches that are getting slightly more difficult. I think the points already made in this thread about the general economy and the specific skill sets being requested are important for understanding what is happening.
Personally I beleive that the employer's lament that "we can't fill positions" is no more valid in Archives than it is in Technology professions (where increased visas for workers from other countires are called for) or the garment industry in my hometown (where the work gets moved overseas instead of the people). The reality is that employers can't find people to work AT THE RATES THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY. When the archives/library grad programs can't keep students because they are leaving early to take jobs (like men's college basketball players leaving for the NBA draft) with signing bonuses and perks you wouldn't beleive-then I'll start to feel worried about a shortage of workers. In the meantime it would seem premature to declare a shortage of archivists just yet.
Interested in any and all responses. Is anyone from the Archival Education side interested in contributing an opinion?
Tom Heard
-----Original Message-----
From: Jill Jackson [SMTP:JJackson@UTSA.EDU]
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 12:48 PM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: job market
Because we are hiring, I have been watching job announcements a lot lately.
I have noticed that quite a few archivist positions (of various types) keep
getting re-advertised or the searches extended. This is both exciting and
unsettling depending whether one is a prospective employer or employee. I
am wondering whether there is a skill deficit, or whether more jobs than
applicants. Thoughts? Are there fewer students going into archives at the
library schools? And is it just my imagination, or are grant funded
positions more plentiful and harder to fill these days?
***********************************************************
Jill U. Jackson, Archivist
UTSA Library
Special Collections & Archives Department
Tel. 210-458-2385; Fax. 210-458-2386
Address:801 South Bowie, ITC Bldg., Room 3.08.01, San Antonio, TX
78205-3296
URL: www.lib.utsa.edu/Archives/
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