People who job-hunt within the Ames area may be in luck.

Combine a low unemployment rate of 2.8 percent for both Ames and Story County with a continually increasing number of job opportunities, and a very positive environment for seeking employment results.

Beverly Madden, director and coordinator of the seven Iowa State colleges’ career placement offices, said the fall semester statistics on graduating seniors who have secured a position will not be available for about two weeks. However, she said she is encouraged by the outlook for students in the current economic climate.

Madden said it is not uncommon for seniors to wait until after graduation to begin their job search.

“That doesn’t make them less employable,” Madden said. “I have many illustrations of students who are involved in particularly intensive research projects and don’t have the time to commit to looking for a job.”

Madden told of one student who graduated last spring and wanted to take a month-long bike tour through Europe before he was tied down to a job.

“Experiences are so valuable — especially something like this in the global job market,” Madden said. “A number of students wait until after graduation to begin the search for a variety of reasons.”

The Career Planning and Placement offices serve students whenever they are ready to search for a job.

“If graduating seniors are still searching, our services are still available,” Madden said. “We can help jump-start their job search, and it’s available right here on campus. We encourage students to stay in touch.”

Each semester, Career Services brings more than 1,000 job recruiters to campus. Madden said their goal is to enable students to efficiently look at the statewide job market and to help them develop good job-seeking skills.

Del Denekas, manager for the Workforce Development Center in Ames, said there will definitely be an increase in the number of job openings in future months, thanks to a sudden influx of new or expanding businesses in the Ames area.

“Most of the jobs we have available are production type,” Denekas said. “We are accepting applications for Pella Windows, Vision Aire, American Packaging and 3M.”

Denekas said Barilla Pasta Company and Lowes Home Center will also be hiring in the near future.

“As far as the rest of the state goes, we’re in very good shape,” Denekas added.

The Workforce Development Center sees an average of 1,150 job seekers per month, and few of these include ISU graduates.

According to Amy Frantz, research analyst with the nonprofit organization Public Interest Institute in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa’s unemployment rate is a measure of individuals who are currently looking for a job.

She said Iowa’s rate was 2.7 percent at the end of September, while the national rate remains 4 to 5 percent.

Frantz cautions that although the rate is low, finding a job may still be hard. She said there are a lot of seasonal temporary positions available this time of year.

She said when unemployment is so low, businesses look for other ways to increase productivity, rather than expansion or development.

A low number of available workers also deters businesses from relocating to Iowa for fear of not finding quality workers at a wage they can afford.

Frantz said the tight labor market drives wages up. Employers have to offer workers more money if they want to lure them away from another job.

“Our goal, at Career Services, is to facilitate students getting jobs, internships, interviews and experience opportunities,” Madden said. “We like to follow through with the students and graduates as they make their employer contacts.”

Students can make connections with career service offices on the ISU home page or at http://www.iastate.edu/~career_info/.

“The low rate is good news for students searching for a job,” Frantz said. “There appear to be fewer people in Iowa currently searching for jobs.”