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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 D E C E M B E R 1 4 , 2 0 2 0 F O C U S WO R K F O R C E D E V E L O P M E N T and social assistance — had the greatest gains, while construction and retail jobs were back to pre-pandemic levels. Looking at those numbers, "it makes sense that the sectors that lost the most jobs would be the ones that would gain the most jobs back," says state labor economist Glenn Mills. He also notes that hospitality and healthcare — so- called "high touch" professions with a lot of public contact — still have more ground to make up in terms of jobs than other industries. He also notes that while construction and manufacturing tend to go down in a typical recession, the oppo- site has been true in the current climate, especially as businesses reconfigure offices and factories, and people come to Maine to buy homes and have them fixed up. "We're in a different kind of situation than the typical recession," he says. at's also true on the national stage, with companies including Target, Amazon and UPS hiring for hun- dreds of thousands of jobs, and FedEx, McDonald's and CVS Health seeking to fill tens of thousands, according to LinkedIn. On a global level, the pandemic is also opening up job opportunities in new areas, from facilities management to automation, according to a survey of 800 executives in eight countries across a range of industries conducted by the McKinsey Global Institute and published in a September report. Nate Wildes, executive director of Live + Work in Maine, sees that as a positive for people from out of state seek- ing employment in Vacationland, saying, "For those interested in the quality of life Maine has to offer, there's never been a better time to explore what's here." Tilson's 'urgent' mission A surge in remote work during the pan- demic, also mentioned in the McKinsey report, is spurring growth at companies like Tilson, a Portland-based network deployment and professional services provider with 521 employees in 40 states. It currently has 39 open positions and expects to continue this year's hiring pace in 2021, according to Adria Horn, vice president of workforce. "Tilson's business is growing across divisions, and our need for talented staff in telecom construction and IT consulting has been in demand," she says. Horn says the hardest jobs to fill are senior leadership and tower techni- cian positions, amid growing industry- wide demand. Fortunately for Tilson, she says it's getting more applications from out-of-staters for jobs in Maine C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » FOLLOW US @MBEVENTS #MBBLOY21 SP ONSORED BY Every year Mainebiz recognizes three business leaders for outstanding performance. Business Leaders of the Year honorees are considered under three categories: Large Company (100+ employees), Entrepreneur/Small Company, and Nonprofit. Do you know a leader that would be a candidate for the 2021 Business Leader of the Year Awards? NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN! PLE ASE SUBMIT A NOMINATION TODAY! mainebiz.biz/nominations S I L H O U E T T E S B Y R AW P I X E L .C O M / F R E E P I K B A C KG R O U N D B Y D G I M - S T U D I O / F R E E P I K " FAME's commitment to the growth of our business strengthens our own commitment to our employees, industry, and community." JB Turner President & General Manager FRONT STREET SHIPYARD Maine Seed Capital tax credits are still available—call to learn more! Helping Maine Businesses Succeed Since 1983 1-800-228-3734 • FAMEmaine.com 6-Time Winner, Best Places to Work in Maine (2015–2020)

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