CHICAGO, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Small businesses
and their larger counterparts plan to step up hiring activity in
the second quarter, according to CareerBuilder's latest forecast.
Twenty-three percent of companies with 50 or fewer employees expect
to add full-time, permanent staff over the next three months, up
from 18 percent last year. Among employers of all sizes, the number
planning to hire in the second quarter is up six percentage points
over last year.
View the full report here.
The study also shows wages may get an upgrade as companies grow
more competitive for skilled talent in the face of shrinking labor
pools. Forty-three percent of employers have job vacancies that
stay open for 12 weeks or longer. Nearly one in four employers (24
percent) expect to increase salaries at least 5 percent in the
second quarter compared to the same period last year; among
Information Technology employers, the number is 37 percent.
The national survey was conducted on behalf of CareerBuilder by
Harris Poll between February 11 and March 6,
2015 and included a representative sample of more than 2,000
hiring managers and human resource professionals across
industries.
"The brisk hiring anticipated for the second quarter comes
against the backdrop of stronger sales, new product development and
market expansion among companies of all sizes," said Matt
Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent
Equation. "Small businesses have been playing a larger part in
the solid stretch of job growth the U.S. has experienced over
several months. When you pair that with the fact that hiring has
increased in a variety of industries and regional areas, it bodes
well for workers seeking new and better-paying employment
prospects."
Permanent Hiring in Q1 2015
Hiring in the first three
months of 2015 outperformed the same period in 2014. Thirty-five
percent of employers hired full-time, permanent employees, up from
29 percent last year. Those who decreased headcount dropped two
percentage points to 9 percent. Fifty-five percent reported no
change in their headcount while 1 percent were unsure.
Permanent Hiring in Q2 2015
Looking ahead, 32 percent
of employers plan to add full-time, permanent staff in the second
quarter, up from 26 percent last year. Eight percent expect to
downsize staff, on par with last year. Fifty-five percent
anticipate no change while 5 percent are undecided.
Industries expected to match or exceed the national average for
adding full-time, permanent headcount in the second quarter
are:
- Information Technology - 49 percent
- Transportation - 44 percent
- Financial Services – 40 percent
- Health Care (50 or more employees) – 32 percent
Temporary Hiring
Temporary employment is also showing
an upswing. Thirty-seven percent of employers plan to hire
temporary or contract workers in the second quarter, up from 33
percent in 2014. Thirty-one percent plan to transition some
contract or temporary staff into permanent employees in the second
quarter, up from 26 percent last year.
Hiring By Company Size
While large organizations are
adding staff at a faster rate, the increased confidence small- and
medium-sized businesses have displayed in previous quarters is
expected to carry over into Q2:
- 50 or fewer employees – 23 percent plan to add
full-time, permanent staff in Q2, up from 18 percent last year;
those reducing headcount decreased from 6 percent last year to 4
percent
- 250 or fewer employees – 27 percent plan to add
full-time, permanent staff in Q2, up from 22 percent last year;
those reducing headcount remained at 6 percent
- 500 or fewer employees – 29 percent plan to add
full-time, permanent staff in Q2, up from 23 percent last year;
those reducing headcount increased from 6 percent last year to 7
percent
- More than 500 employees – 38 percent plan to add
full-time, permanent staff in Q2, up from 32 percent last year;
those reducing headcount decreased from 11 percent last year to 9
percent
Compensation
Companies may be feeling increased
pressure to become more competitive with compensation. While 27
percent of employers anticipate no change in salary levels in the
second quarter compared to the same period last year, 24 percent
expect to boost salaries by at least 5 percent. Forty-four percent
anticipate there will be an increase of 4 percent or less while 1
percent expect a decrease and 4 percent are undecided.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online
within the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among
2,175 hiring managers and human resource professionals ages 18 and
over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government)
between February 11 and March 6, 2015
(percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on
their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability
sample of 2,175, one could say with a 95 percent probability that
the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 2.10 percentage
points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher
and varies.
About CareerBuilder®
CareerBuilder is the global
leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and
attract great talent. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®,
is the largest in the United
States with more than 24 million unique visitors and 1
million jobs. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers,
providing everything from labor market intelligence to talent
management software and other recruitment solutions. Owned by
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy
Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in
the United States, Europe, South
America, Canada and
Asia. For more information, visit
www.careerbuilder.com.
Media Contact
Jennifer
Grasz
773-527-1164
jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com
@jsgrasz
@CareerBuilderPR
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SOURCE CareerBuilder