Hiring Pace to Accelerate in Coming Year

August 26, 2009 – The economy has posed many challenges for businesses – including the need to make sure they are prepared for the upturn. According to a new survey, managers are planning to hire a combination of workers to support both long- and short-term initiatives. Fifty-three percent of employers expect to hire full-time employees over the next 12 months while 40 percent will hire contract, temporary or project professionals and 39 percent will add part-time employees. The Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report is based on an annual survey by Robert Half International Inc. and CareerBuilder, which polled more than 500 hiring managers and 500 workers. Technology, customer service and sales are the top three areas in which employers expect to add jobs first once the economy rebounds. The average time to fill open positions, depending on the job level, is 4.5 to 14.5 weeks, the same time range as last year. Four in 10 employers expect the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to create jobs in their organizations over the next two years. More than half of employees polled plan to make a career change or go back to school when the economy recovers, while 40 percent of hiring managers said that when the economy improves, giving pay raises will be their primary method for retaining top performers.