The End of the Recession Means...

The End of the Recession Means... If you are the kind of person who believes in studies and data from studies, then you have to read Robert Halfs most recent study completed in conjunction with Career Builder EDGE 2009 Study: The key findings include: In the next 12 months, more than half of employers polled plan to hire full-time employees, four in 10 will hire contract, temporary or project workers, and four in 10 will hire part-time employees. Technology, customer service and sales are the top three areas in which employers expect to add jobs first once the economy rebounds. The average time to fill open positions, depending on the job level, is 4.5 to 14.4 weeks, the same time range as last year. Despite an abundant labor pool, six in 10 employers are willing to negotiate with qualified candidates for higher compensation. Four in 10 employers expect the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to create jobs in their organizations over the next two years. More than half of employees polled plan to make a career change or go back to school when the economy recovers. Forty percent of hiring managers said that when the economy improves, giving pay raiseswill be their primary method for retaining top performers. Theres some good news in here. 6 in 10 employers are willing to negotiate for higher compensation and 40% of hiring managers will consider giving pay raises to retain top performers. These factors could increase the decreasing salary ranges weve been hearing and seeing. On a more realistic note, it takes employers 4.5 to 14.4 weeks to fill a position. What this means is that it is going to take you longer than you expected or wanted to land that job. Be frugal. Employers are alsopredicting that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create jobs. This is foggy. The act doesnt specifically create jobs it is supporting initiatives. Well wait and see on this one. Weve heard and seen that were coming out of this recession. The hope I have is that we never forgetand become complacent with our jobs and our lifestyles again. This was a wake up call, one long overdue.