Job seekers might need a jab
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Even as more employers across the nation are listing COVID-19 vaccinations as an application requirement, Texas job postings are relatively mum, an Axios analysis of Indeed data has found.
Zoom in: The latest Indeed data shows that, on average, less than 1% — 0.7% to be precise — of Texas job postings sought only vaccinated employees over the week ending on Sept. 24.
- That's one of the lowest rates in the U.S. and far below top-ranked states Washington (3.1%), Oregon (2.4%) and Arizona (2.4%).
Yes, but: The number of job postings requiring vaccination is growing. The latest Texas figures represented a 41%+ increase since Sept. 9.
Many Austin listings include COVID-19 vaccinations as a work requirement, from an Allandale family hunting for a "short-term loving nanny" to a scheduling job with a military defense contractor.
What they're saying: To protect against possible disability rights violations, Woodlands-based labor attorney April Walter recommends employers "avoid asking about vaccination status until after extending a job offer that is conditional upon showing proof of vaccination."
What to watch: The numbers will likely rise even more as companies decide whether to act ahead of the Biden administration's new rules requiring federal and many other employees to get vaccinated or be regularly tested for COVID-19.
- The vaccination deadline is Nov. 22 for federal employees; deadlines are still being developed for companies with more than 100 employees.
Some fear the trend could also contribute to the "great resignation," Axios' Erica Pandey notes. One survey of legal and human resource officers found 69% are worried about increased turnover if and when mandates take effect.