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Executive staffing firm projects slight bump in hiring

Job prospects

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Note: The Skinny blog is written by Rick Smith, editor and co-founder of Local Tech Wire and business editor of WRAL.com.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Looking for some good news on the job front? Robert Half has some.

The global staffing firm that concentrates on executive recruitment and hiring, forecasts a slight increase in hiring this fall.

Manpower reported similar results on Tuesday although its CEO also warned that the job market is softening. Manpower also focuses on general employment, not what Robert Half calls "executive" hiring.

The Robert Half report says a net 6 percent of executives it surveyed for the fourth quarter “Professional Employment Report” plan to add full-time employees in what the firm calls “professional occupations.”

The best hiring prospects appear to bode well for the Triangle and other points South.

“Businesses in the South Atlantic2 states project the most hiring activity, with a net 9 percent of executives from this region planning to add professional-level staff in the fourth quarter,” Robert Half reported.

The best job prospects are in the business services sector with a net 16 percent of firms planning to hire. Hottest demand is for attorneys and legal professionals with 23 percent of law firms expecting to add headcount. However, that is a drop from 31 percent in the third quarter.

That 6 percent total is up from a net 3 percent hiring forecast for the third quarter.

While 11 percent of the firms in the survey expect to add headcount from October through December, five percent plan to make cuts.

However, for people seeking positive news about the still slumbering economy, the Robert Half survey says “business optimism” improved to 86 percent for the end-of-the-year period. That compares to 85 percent for the third quarter.

“Companies that overextended their teams are now selectively adding full-time employees,” said Max Messmer, Robert Half’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Businesses are hiring to keep service levels high and boost morale among existing team members who have taken on extra work in the past few years.”

Interestingly, Robert Half noted a five-point increase in “recruiting challenges” to 47 percent from 42 percent.

“Despite high unemployment rates, executives expressed concern about their ability to find employees with the requisite skills for open positions,” Messmer said. “An increasing number of firms are bringing in interim staff to access specific expertise for key projects and keep personnel costs variable until they can resume full-time hiring.”

The best job prospects are in the business services sector with a net 16 percent of firms planning to hire. Hottest demand is for attorneys and legal professionals with 23 percent of law firms expecting to add headcount. However, that is a drop from 31 percent in the third quarter.

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The Skinny

WRAL Local Tech Wire Publisher and Editor Rick Smith dishes out tidbits from the local technology sector. Read more articles…