A number of forces have come together to create a booming job market in Charlotte County…at least for certain types of jobs. There’s a new WalMart distribution center in nearby DeSoto County – 2 new Home Depots – several hundred new government positions created in the wake of Hurricane Charley – and even more construction jobs, also due to Charley.

“So if you put all of those jobs together that’s well over 1000 positions that weren’t here in this county a year ago. And you’re looking at a county that has a population that’s not as big as Cape Coral.”

That’s Tom Halsey with the Charlotte County Career Center. He says right now he can’t fill all the job orders he has. But, he says, it’s not necessarily all kinds of jobs…

“Charlotte County was pretty devastated by Charley and the building industry is just booming. If you’re in the construction industry you can pretty much write your own ticket…I mean an electrician, a plumber or experienced carpenter you can pretty much walk down the street and get 2 or 3 job offers in the same day.”

Halsey says salaries have also risen as employers fight over workers. He says wages are up approximately $2 an hour from where they were a year ago. Halsey encourages anyone looking for a job in Charlotte County top come by the Career Center on Toledo Blade Blvd. to see what they’ve got to offer.