Most employers expect to make no major hiring changes next year, and those who do are taking it slow. However, companies are looking at ways to make business operations easier and more cost-effective.
CareerBuilder recently released the results of its latest survey, 2009 Job Forecast, conducted by Harris Interactive. The survey, completed from November 12 to December 1, asked 3,259 hiring managers and human resource professionals in private sector companies about next year’s hiring trends. The majority of employers expect no major hiring changes during Q1, but many do plan on raising compensation during that time.
“The job market of 2008 suffered as the U.S. economy weakened and entered into a recession,” CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson said. “Looking ahead, recruitment levels are expected to be lower in the new year, but employers are not out of the mix completely; instead they’re taking ‘a wait and see’ approach to
hiring.”
The survey found that, for full-time hiring, 14 percent of employers plan to increase permanent employees, compared to 32 percent this year. About 16 percent of employers plan to decrease staff numbers next year, 56 percent are planning no change and 13 percent are unsure.
For part-time hiring, 8 percent of employers plan to increase their staff, a decrease from 21 percent this year. Also, 14 percent of employers plan to cut jobs, 62 percent expect no change and 15 percent are unsure.
The survey further found that the most people will be hired in the South and West next year, as 18 percent of employers in the South and 14 percent of employers in the West plan to add full-time employees, compared to 13 percent in the Midwest and 11 percent in the Northeast. In the Northeast, 19 percent of employers are predicting staff decreases, compared to 17 percent in the Midwest and 14 percent in the South.
The industries set to see the most number of new jobs are professional and business services and information technology, as 28 percent of IT employers and 23 percent of professional and business services employers plan to add full-time jobs. The transportation and utilities industry will increase by 20 percent, sales by 16 percent, healthcare by 14 percent, financial services by 13 percent, retail by 7 percent and hospitality by 5 percent.
The survey also found that to help lower costs, many employers plan to begin implementing new hiring practices next year, including: increased salaries, flexible work arrangements, green jobs, recruitment tools, retraining retirees, diversity recruitment and freelance or contract hiring.
Popularity: 11% [?]
Leave a Reply