Fifty-six percent of human resources professionals say their organizations performed better this year than in 2010, which is 37 points higher than the previous poll from January 2011, according to a survey by ORC International, a global market research firm.

Many hiring managers say the post-secondary education system could better prepare students for the work force, according to a survey commissioned by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools and conducted by FTI Consulting.

The Randstad Employee Confidence Index, which measures employees confidence regarding their work situation and economic optimism, grew by 2.4 points to 48.0 in November, and more respondents report a greater confidence in their ability to find new jobs.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration is proposing two rules as part of the Affordable Care Act to protect small businesses and workers who have health benefits through multiple-employer welfare arrangements.

According to the November CBIZ Small Business Employment Index, which examines hiring trends among companies with 300 or fewer employees, the rate grew by .35 percent in November after decreasing by 1.28 percent in October.

Thirty-nine percent of employees say managing their workloads can be difficult during the holiday season, and 41 percent of employees say their workloads are already too heavy, finds a new survey by Accountemps, a specialized staffing firm for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals.

According to a monthly survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, recruiting difficulty and new-hire compensation continue to grow, and hiring in December among the manufacturing and service sectors are expected to drop as job cuts rise.

Employers believe hiring for professional-level positions will grow in the first quarter; however, they are still concerned that finding qualified candidates could be difficult, according to a new survey by Robert Half, a specialized staffing firm.