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Stronger Employment Trends Expected This Year

January 24, 2011 | Staffing Blog

Employers are ready to start hiring, according to a survey by ASA corporate partner CareerBuilder.

CareerBuilder’s annual job forecast, based on a survey of more than 2,400 hiring managers and human resource professionals in a range of industries, found that more employers plan to add full-time regular employees in 2011 than said would be adding employees in 2010.

“More than half of employers reported they are in a better financial position today than they were one year ago,” says Matt Ferguson of CareerBuilder. “Our survey indicates more jobs will be added in 2011 than 2010, but job creation will remain gradual. The year will be characterized by steady, measured gains across various industries.”

Additionally, more than one-third of hiring managers (34%) reported they will hire temporary or contract workers to supplement leaner staffs in 2011, up from 30% last year. Of those hiring, 24% of employers expect to add more staffing employees than last year. More than one-third of hiring managers surveyed (39%) plan to transition some temporary or contract staff into full-time regular positions. With 41% of employers concerned that their best talent will leave their companies once the economy improves, staffing firms may find a new crop of experienced candidates who are ready to pursue new job opportunities.

Small businesses have been slower to recover, but the survey data show that hiring is gradually improving among companies of all sizes—30% of employers with more than 250 employees plan to add full-time regular employees in 2011, as do 27% of employers with 51 to 250 employees and 14% of employers with 50 or fewer employees.

Employers said that they’re most likely to hire employees in 2011 for sales (27%), information technology (26%), and customer service (25%) positions.