Jobs available: Can they be filled?

Sanjiv Bhandari, president of BKBC Architects Inc. of Walnut Creek, said his company is in such need of workers that many of those he already has are forced to work extra hours.

"At least in our profession, what I’m seeing now with a lot of openings and a shortage of experienced architects has never happened before in 25 years," Bhandari said. "I would hire tomorrow if I had the candidates."

Other Bay Area executives share Bhandari’s concerns. While many say they plan to hire more workers in the coming months, they also say it is getting harder to find qualified candidates because they can’t afford to live here. That was the basic sentiment in a Bay Area Business Confidence Survey set to be released today.

Conducted by the Bay Area Council, the survey was based on questions asked of 512 CEOs and top executives in the Bay Area, including Bhandari.

His need for employees is so vital that he is interviewing people who haven’t even graduated yet, he said.

By David Morrill, BUSINESS WRITER

Full Story: http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_3836625