Job Seekers Still Look to Print

Despite the rising popularity of online classfied ads, job seekers still rely on the classifieds sections of local newspapers for employment, according to a survey conducted by TNS for The Conference Board.

Newspaper classifieds win out over online listings. Over 75 percent job seekers read listings in paper editions. in contrast, three out of five, or 60 percent, use the Web to view job posts, though the same percentage combine newspaper searches with the Internet or another search vehicle. Almost 60 percent of job seekers rely on other job-seeking means, including hearing about jobs from friends, professional organizations and agency placement.

Just under half of those who report using only one search method say they use newspaper classifieds alone. That’s double the percent of job seekers who say they only use the Internet.

“We still see job seekers using newspapers in some way, shape, or form above the Internet,” said Linda Barrington, labor economist, research director at The Conference Board. “Usually it is in combination of the Internet or some other medium, but when we look at people who used only one method, even then newspapers are the most common.”

Age and income both act as factors in determining channel job seekers use to look for jobs. Those under 35 report higher Internet reliance. More than three-quarters of those with household incomes of $50,000 and over use the Internet to search for new employment. About 70 percent of the same group use newspapers. Households with incomes below $25,000 rely on newspapers 80 percent and Internet 50 percent. Data for job seekers under 35 is more evenly distributed between the survey’s categorized “high” and “low” incomes.

Many reports state a migration to the Web for news and classifieds. Past studies also show the online job sites as more popular than paper alternatives.

A survey of a nationally-representative sample of 5,000 households was conducted by TNS to conduct the research.