Employers share their plans for rest of 2010

At the risk of sounding old, can you believe we’ve already gone through half of 2010? I feel as though we were just talking about what to expect in the first and second quarters of this year. Yet, here we are looking at the second half of 2010 in the recently released Job Forecast from CareerBuilder and USA Today.

As you might expect, employers are cautiously optimistic when it comes to hiring. Between July and December, 41 percent of surveyed hiring managers plan to hire new employees. Approximately 20 percent of hiring managers plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in the third quarters, which is similar to figures in both the first and second quarter of this year.

What does this mean? Simply, don’t expect a hiring sea change in the next three months. Employers have held a consistent approach to hiring this year and plan to continue. Although everyone (employers and job seekers alike) would like to see a boom in new workers, take heart that companies aren’t looking just to boost their payrolls momentarily and then have to downsize — they’re looking to fill positions for the long haul.

However, for those of you looking for work, here are the sectors where employers plan to begin hiring. Note that the focus is on positions that bring in revenue for the company:

• Customer service (25 percent of hiring managers)
• Sales (22 percent)
• Information technology (18 percent)
• Administrative (13 percent)
• Business development (10 percent)
• Accounting/Finance (10 percent)

What to expect for the rest of 2010:

1. Emerging jobs: Much of the year’s hiring will be in positions that either didn’t exist a few years ago or weren’t in high demand until recently. According to the survey, 24 percent of hiring managers will recruit for jobs in social media, green energy,  cybersecurity, global relations and health-care reform.

2. Employees jumping ship: Some human-resources professionals worry that an improving economy could mean their top performers will leave in pursuit of another job. Fifty-six percent fear their top talent will leave, and the survey finds that 29 percent of workers do plan to change jobs when the economy is in better shape.

3. Skilled labor is still hard to find: Although the job market has no shortage of applicants, it does have a shortage of qualified workers, according to employers. Twenty-two percent of employers report that they are having difficulty filling positions with qualified candidates. IT, customer service and communications are suffering from a shortage of qualified workers, hiring managers say.

Looking ahead at Q3:
Most job seekers want to know three things: Is anyone hiring? Where are they located? How much will they pay?

Is anyone hiring?

Yes! Although most employers don’t plan to hire new employees, approximately one-fifth do.

• 21 percent of employers will add full-time, permanent  employees.
• 8 percent plan to downsize.
• 65 percent don’t expect a change in  head count.

Where are they hiring?
Hiring seems to be occurring at the same pace throughout the country.

• 22 percent of Western employers intend to add full-time, permanent workers.
• 21 percent of Northeastern and Midwestern employees say the same.
• 20 percent of Southern employers have the same plan.

How much are they paying?
While many employers don’t foresee any salary raises or cuts, some do. However, most employers who will be giving raises expect them to be  moderate.

• 42 percent of employers do not plan any change in salary levels.
• 31 percent expect to see an increase of 1 to 3 percent.
• 12 percent plan increases between 4 and 10 percent.
• 1 percent expect an increase of 11 percent or more.

What do workers think?
The recession has caused many workers to re-evaluate their situations, from expenses to education to employment. The economic troubles of the past two years have not been kind to some companies, as 25 percent of workers admit to having a worse opinion of their employers as a result of the Great Recession. On the other hand, 14 percent have a better opinion and 61 percent have unchanged views.

Why do workers want to leave?
As mentioned above, 25 percent of workers plan to leave their organizations in the next 12 months. Why?

• 30 percent of workers blame the recession. They feel overworked, the climate has changed, and resentment lingers from layoffs.
• 33 percent of workers believe they are overqualified for their positions.
• 23 percent of workers are not interested in their work.

Of course, you might not be surprised to learn that the No. 1 reason employees would stick around is an increase in salary. If that’s not an option, employee recognition will do.

You can read more in the complete forecast here. Do you agree with what employers say or do you see a different future in the coming months? Let us know.