Stronger Employment Trends Expected for the New Year

I f your New Year’s resolution is to land a new job - here’s some encouraging news. More companies are planning to hire full-time workers in 2011 , compared with 2010, according to a new survey from Chicago based CareerBuilder.com, the largest career website in the United States, with more than 22 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 40 million resumes. In the coming year, 24 percent of employers say they’ll hire full-time employees, up from 20 percent in 2010 and 14 percent in 2009, according to the survey, which queried over 2,400 hiring managers in November and December of 2010.

But job creation in 2011 will be gradual and steady - much like the job gains of 2010.

“More than half of employers reported they are in a better financial position today than they were one year ago,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder, in a statement. “2011 will usher in a healthier employment picture, as business leaders grow more confident in the economy. Our survey indicates more jobs will be added in 2011 than 2010, but job creation will remain gradual.”

Another hopeful sign for job seekers is that more temporary positions will be converted to full-time jobs.
About 39 percent of employers said they plan to transition temporary staff into permanent workers next year, according to the survey.

Among employers who plan to increase their full-time, permanent headcount in 2011 , sales is the most popular functional area they will be hiring for as they focus on expanding their customer base and market penetration.

The top ten functional areas for recruitment include:
Sales – 27 percent
Information Technology – 26 percent
Customer Service – 25 percent
Engineering – 21 percent
Technology – 19 percent
Administrative – 17 percent
Business Development – 17 percent
Marketing – 17 percent
Research/Development – 15 percent
Accounting/Finance – 14 percent

Similar to last year’s forecast, more employers in the West plan to recruit new employees in 2011 than other regions.

Twenty-six percent of hiring managers in the West reported they plan to add full-time, permanent headcount, followed by 24 percent in the Northeast and 23 percent in the Midwest and South.

Plans to downsize staffs are trending below the last two years. Eight percent of employers in the South expect to decrease headcount followed by 7 percent each in the Northeast, Midwest and West.

By Emanuela P. Lima