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It will come as a surprise to no one that the market for electric vehicles is expanding significantly. In fact, from North America to the Middle East, Europe to Asia-Pacific, the demand for electric vehicles continues to increase. However, there are challenges, including rising road traffic accidents, which is one of the market drivers behind electric vehicle insurance. This type of insurance is designed to offer financial protection to vehicles against a range of liabilities, many of which are specific to electric vehicles. These include third party injuries and damage. Forecasts that predict electric vehicle insurance to be the next big thing are focused on how it is a product that can help avoid expensive repair bills and ensuring that anyone driving this type of car does not end up out of pocket. As the demand for electric vehicles continues to gather pace, insurance companies are increasingly seeking to fill the current gap that exists when it comes to competitive policies, creating substantial market growth in the years to come.

Despite the global uncertainty across commodity markets in recent months, there has been no drop in the appetite for quant talent as quant and commodities jobs USA continue to be a hot market. While trading, technology and FX roles have all experienced a slowdown in response to global events, the demand for credit, quants and commodities talent remains robust. Global market revenues for many banks saw a decline in the first quarter of the year but this was in stark contrast to the figures for areas such as commodities - Goldman Sachs, for example, made around $1 billion in commodities trading in the first quarter of the year. The demand for quants talent is not being matched by an increase in businesses seeking out new operations and tech professionals, which suggests that quants are being hired to streamline and automate. Given that trend-following quant hedge funds are already experiencing the best year in almost 20 years this trend isn't likely to taper off any time soon.

The easing of COVID restrictions has allowed many jobs markets to rebound, as businesses look to rebuild teams that may have been decimated during the pandemic - and to bring in new skills to respond to fresh challenges. The US economy added more than 400,000 jobs in the final month of the last quarter, showing just how much demand there currently is for talented people nationwide. Financial recruitment jobs is among those areas where there has been significant recovery following the slowdown that affected almost all sectors during COVID. The net change in financial activities jobs for March this year showed an increase of more than 16,000, according to figures provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The strength of this jobs report indicates strong growth for the year ahead in areas such as financial recruitment jobs. The White House welcomed the strength of the jobs report and said that it underscores the incredible resilience of the US labor market.

A report published in April of this year by the U.S.-China Business Council indicates that all 50 US states exported goods to China last year - and that these exports supported 858,000 US jobs. In fact, exports from America to China spiked last year, increasing by 21% which meant they reached a record high of $149 billion. Many of the rural states in the US were the ones that benefitted the most, especially in terms of commodities. Here, Chinese companies bought a wide range of goods, from soybeans to corn and pork. Many other sectors also benefited from the strong exports performance, including technology and pharmaceuticals. Strong goods exports were responsible for a significant level of job creation and were welcomed by many industries. However, ongoing issues with the travel and service industries meant that the export of services was not as successful. While the future of the relationship between the USA and China may not be clear, the export numbers for the past year have obviously had a big impact in the present in terms of supporting profitability and competitiveness among US businesses.

Sustainable investment is a key growth area in the financial services world and this is leading to a huge drive to secure business-critical talent. Competition for those who have the skills and experience to help build sustainable investment businesses is hot, with bidding contests becoming a reality and salaries spiraling. In fact, for top talent, financial rewards are increasing by around 50%. ESG talent are being identified as 'the stars of asset management' right now and this is making it challenging for even some of the biggest institutions to recruit the best people. Aligning investment with social benefits and climate goals is not new - it has had a momentum that has been building for some time - but the widespread commitment to it is. Assets in sustainable funds grew 53% year-on-year to $2.74tn in 2021. While demand for talented people to manage these assets is spiking, the talent pool remains relatively modest, which is why there are such significant opportunities for the right candidates today.

NFTs are constantly generating headlines and today have become an increasingly important priority for many companies. Now, the crypto sales and trading platform eToro has announced the launch of a $20 million NFT fund that will enable it to buy more NFTs and do more for creators. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are digital assets that represent real world objects. That could be anything, from property to art. Focusing on NFTs in this way represents the beginning of a new strategy for eToro. Once this has become fully matured it will allow the sales and trading platform to provide a broad spectrum of services to those who are looking to invest in NFTs. From pop stars to artists, many more high-profile figures have begun to use NFTs in recent times, particularly as a way to offer a stake in their brand. Companies like eToro will play a vital role in the way that this economy expands and the opportunities that exist to participate in it.

New figures have revealed that a record number of insurance companies are planning to increase staff employment over the course of 2022. 72% are already looking to boost headcount this year, despite the major squeeze that already exists in the labor market. For many organizations in insurance, this is the most competitive labor market yet and there is huge competition for the brightest and best talent. This is thanks to the number of people retiring from the sector increasing at the same time as significant proliferation in job opportunities and openings, as well as the creation of brand-new roles. The main reason for companies seeking to boost headcount over 2022 is an anticipated increase in business volume over the coming 12 months - just 3% anticipate any staff reductions will be necessary. Interestingly, most insurers are planning to offer flexible working as standard as they seek to fill these new roles. 89% will offer a hybrid working model and 45% fully remote working options.

The Jobs Report delivered at the start of March 2022 showed much stronger than expected growth with 678,000 jobs added to payroll data. This was significantly above the forecast figures for the period, which were closer to 420,000. The rate of unemployment also fell at the start of the year, dropping from 4% to 3.8%, another indicator that the US employment market is doing better. Among the sectors fueling US jobs growth is financial recruitment. However, while wage growth may have soared in recent months - thanks to the pressure on businesses to fill record numbers of vacancies - the March report saw this flatline. Nevertheless, the forecast for jobs growth remains strong, including in the financial recruitment sector. Some slowing is forecast due to the war in Ukraine but, especially in the longer term, there is plenty to be positive about for anyone currently looking to enter - or move around in - the employment market.

Insurance jobs USA are currently undergoing major shifts as the recruitment sector changes around them. The Great Resignation of 2021, combined with many Baby Boomers retiring, has already had a big impact on the insurance industry. Key to this is the way that enterprises and recruiters must remain flexible and open-minded when it comes to attracting new people into the business. This is predominantly about understanding what the modern workforce wants, whether that relates to flexible working or mental health support. It also means adapting to a 'no contact' model of recruitment that integrates digital communication and remote interviewing. Recruiters need to move away from being focused on how much office experience a potential candidate has and look instead at their digital skills and abilities, as these have become particularly vital as working models have moved to a more hybrid or remote basis - and aren't likely to move back.

'Market making' is the term that is often used when it comes to sales and trading jobs USA. The reality of these roles is that they are all about buying and selling and there are some specific skills that are going to be very in demand in 2022. The first is the ability to rise and shine - while sales and trading jobs don't tend to have the same long hours associated with some other roles in investment banking, the markets start early and so anyone in this kind of role needs to as well. Decision-making skills are also very much in demand - while there is a lot of digitization in sales and trading jobs it's still humans making the decisions. This puts negotiating and people skills, as well as robust communication abilities up at the top of the 'in demand' list too. Other in-demand skills include attention to detail and the ability to focus attention and concentrate.