Executives expect hiring in professional fields to continue rising in the second quarter but at a slower pace than projected for the first quarter, according to a new Robert Half survey shows.
In fact, a net 2 percent of respondents plan on bringing in full-time staff during the second quarter, which is a decline from 10 percent last quarter. Another 89 percent of respondents do not plan to make any changes in hiring activity, marking an increase from 78 percent during the first quarter.
Still, 91 percent of respondents say they are somewhat or very confident in their companies' growth prospects in the second quarter, representing a growth of four points from the first-quarter survey. Sixty-one percent of respondents say they are having trouble finding skilled employees. The survey also finds that 5 percent of respondents plan on hiring additional staff while 3 percent expect work force reductions.
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Among the various industries, the legal field is projected to see the strongest hiring activity as a net 22 percent of lawyers anticipate increasing staff levels. Respondents working in the transportation industry also expect to add staff with a net 9 percent saying they plan to hire.
Despite the positive reports, those figures could be impacted by the global economy's performance, says Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International.
"Although the hiring outlook for professional-level positions remains positive overall, it could be tempered somewhat in reaction to issues such as the fiscal uncertainties in the Eurozone and weaker growth in Asia," Messmer says.
For employers that aren't ready to commit to full-time hires, they could consider temporary staff, says Brett Good, a senior district president with Robert Half International.
"Companies that are not ready to make a full-time hire often fill human resource needs on a temporary basis, so they can staff up or down as business demands change," Good says. "Temporary and project professionals provide access to skills on a right-now basis and can give businesses more control over their personnel budgets."
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