Looking for a New Job? Small Firms Hire More After Recessions.

The conventional wisdom has been that small organizations create most of the jobs in this country yet there’s been little reliable data to substantiate that. Until now.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics just released a comprehensive study showing that since 1990, firms with 500 or more employees have accounted for more than 40 percent of total private employment and that the percentage of private employment accounted for by each size class has remained quite stable over time. Yet during post-recession times like we’re currently in, job seekers should look first to small organizations with one to 49 employees as they have led larger firms at cyclical turning points. In other words, small organizations hire more coming out of a recession but also lay off more going into a recession.