The jobless numbers are out for December and they're not so bad, say some analysts, considering the fiscal cliff crisis.
The Labor Department says employers added 155-thousand jobs last month holding the national unemployment rate at 7.8 percent.
Construction created the most jobs in housing improvements and rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy.
Manufacturing also added 25 thousand jobs.
Local employment agencies say hiring is strong in the Quad Cities.
Temporary positions are in high demand and those are converting into full time work with manufacturing driving much of the demand.
Temporary positions offer a good deal for employers, letting them test out workers before committing themselves to hiring someone full time.
The manufacturing field is bringing on new hires as fast as it can though.
Hiring six temporary employees at a time, rather than one.
The employment agencies say they can't find skilled workers fast enough.
A strong agriculture economy is driving a lot of the manufacturing business.
Orders are up, and with the fiscal cliff past us, even the wind industry is turning around.
Two months ago, wind workers were trying to find something new.
Today, the wind companies want to hire again.
The increase in manufacturing positions has surprised some of the employment agencies.
Right after the downturn in 2008, a recovery seemed to be much farther off in the future.
Now they're saying, if you want a job, skilled manufacturing is the place to look.
"Any kind of a skilled trade certification, whether it be in welding or machining or fabrication, any kind of a skilled trade is going to get you good work immediately and long term," says Trillium Staffing manger Liz Hartman.
Temp agencies says the clerical and light industrial fields are also hiring.
Jobs like forklift drivers and warehouse positions.
Those are generally lower skilled positions, and are highly competitive because of the amount of people looking for that type of work.
