CHICAGO, July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Most employers expect their staff levels to remain the same as recruiting patterns hold steady and job losses trend downward, according to CareerBuilder and USA TODAY's Q3 2009 Job Forecast. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive(R) from May 22 through June 10, 2009 among more than 2,600 hiring managers and human resource professionals.
'The latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that job loss is moderating, a trend that will hopefully continue in the second half of the year as the financial system and economy move toward recovery,' said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder. 'Though we're headed in the right direction, we're not likely to experience significant movement in job creation in 2009. Jobs will be added, but overall, businesses will continue to be conservative in their hiring and maintain focus on existing human capital. Sixty-eight percent of employers said they don't anticipate any change in their full-time, permanent headcount in the third quarter.'
Hiring in Q2 2009
Sixty-four percent of employers reported no change in their staff levels in the second quarter. The number of employers who added and reduced headcount improved over the previous three months. Eighteen percent of employers said they increased their number of full-time, permanent employees in the second quarter - up from 13 percent in the first quarter. Seventeen percent of employers reported a reduction in headcount, an improvement from 26 percent in the first quarter. One percent were undecided.
Hiring in Q3 2009
Looking forward, 15 percent of hiring managers expect to increase full-time, permanent headcount in the third quarter, up slightly from what was originally projected for the second quarter. Ten percent anticipate there will be a decrease in headcount in the third quarter, a projected improvement from the previous two quarters. Sixty-eight percent expect no change and 7 percent are unsure.
HOW EMPLOYERS ARE MANAGING THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
In addition to exploring new markets and revenue opportunities, employers are concentrating on cost containment measures to help them endure a challenging economy. The following are six trends from the first half of the year.
No. 1 - Postponed Start Dates - Nearly one-in-ten employers (8 percent) have presented job offers with postponed start dates this year to secure talent while delaying expenses associated with additional headcount. Of these employers, 42 percent provided a pay incentive while the remainder did not.
No. 2 - Furloughs - Ten percent of employers have instituted mandatory furloughs for employees over the last six months.
