Andres Florez thought teaching was a recession-proof profession — until he started applying for jobs.
After sending his resumé to countless schools in Hillsborough County and interviewing at four schools without a single job offer, Florez changed his mind.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be so hard,” he said.
The 22-year-old graduated from UF in May 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in history and completed his master’s degree in social studies education in August 2009.
In early summer, as his degree’s completion was approaching, Florez started filling out applications. He didn’t stop until October when he was hired as a substitute teacher.
“Honestly, at first I was kind of annoyed,” he said. “I thought if I worked so hard in college I should be able to get a job, but I had to get over it.”
Florez is not alone in his struggle, according to a survey released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Tuesday, which revealed job openings in the U.S. decreased about 50 percent since mid-2007.
In June 2007, the bureau reported 4.7 million job openings. By the end of 2009, job openings for the nearly 15.3 million unemployed people in the U.S. fell to a record low 2.4 million.
The job-openings rate, or the number of job openings as a percentage of total employment, has remained at about 1.8 or 1.9 percent since March 2009, according to the report.
However, the steady rates hide a sobering statistic — there are about 6.4 unemployed workers for every available job. That number grew from 1.7 unemployed people per position in December 2007, according to the Associated Press.
Ja’Net Glover, assistant director for career events at the UF’s Career Resource Center, said the center has felt the effects of fewer job openings, particularly with its semiannual career showcase on Tuesday and Wednesday. Glover said the number of employers attending the career fair decreased by about 15 to 20 percent from last spring. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in the number of students and alumni attending the fair.
To combat the high competition and the low number of job positions, Glover suggests students take initiative and find creative ways to set themselves apart from others.
Florez’s job search eventually paid off. In January, he started teaching ninth- and 10th-grade geometry at a Tampa high school.
Some time in the future, Florez would like to teach what he really loves — history.
But for now?
“I’m completely happy teaching math,” he said.
