Encouraging news about the economy may be easing fears of employers, as 20% of companies plan to add full-time permanent employees in 2010, up from 14% last year, according to a recent study from CareerBuilder.
Only 9% of companies say they plan to decrease headcount in 2010, down sharply from 16% in 2009; and 61% of employers say hiring will remain flat, while 10% say they are unsure of their plans, the study finds.
In addition––and as part of an overall strategy to move forward in the New Year––37% of employers say there will be an increased emphasis on social media in their companies to strengthen brand image. A slight uptick in the hiring of freelance or contract workers is also expected.
Below, additional findings from Career Builder's 2010 US Job Forecast.
Hiring by Region
Employers in the US West are planning to increase their headcounts more in 2010 than are other regions of the country. Nearly one-quarter of employers (24%) in the West say they plan to add full-time workers in 2010, compared with 21% in the Northeast, 20% in the South, and 16% in the Midwest.
Although plans to decrease headcounts in 2010 are down sharply across all regions, employers in the Northeast still plan to trim headcounts 10%, followed by an 8% planned decrease in the South, Midwest, and West.
Hiring by Job Type
One-third of employers plan to add technology jobs in the coming year, followed by 28% in customer service. Nearly one-third plan to add salespeople, and 14% plan to add marketing jobs.
Hiring by Industry
Across selected industries, a minority of companies plan to add full-time permanent employees in the coming year:
- Information technology: 32% of companies
- Manufacturing: 27%
- Financial services: 23%
- Professional and business services: 22%
- Sales: 21%
Compensation
Even as companies continue to watch their spending, they plan slight increases to salaries in the coming year: 57% of employers say their companies will increase salaries for current employees in 2010, down from 65% who said so in 2009. Over one-third (36%) expect to raise salaries of current employees by 3% or more, while 11% anticipate increases of 5% or more.
Strategies for the New Year
Companies are looking to the future to make up for lost ground caused by the recession. The following are the top 10 trends for 2010:
- Replacing lower-performing employees.
- Emphasis on social media to strengthen brand. The economy required companies to make some difficult decisions about their businesses, which had a negative effect on their brands.
Over one-third of employers (37%) plan to put a greater emphasis on social media in 2010 to create a more positive brand for their organization. One in five (20%) plan to add social media responsibilities to a current employee, while 8% plan to hire someone new to focus or partially focus on social media. - Rehiring laid-off workers.
- Flexible work arrangements. Companies plan to continue providing employees with greater flexibility in hopes of maintaining a better work-life balance: 35% of employers say they plan to provide more flexible work arrangements in 2010, compared with 31% last year. These arrangements include alternate schedules (73%), telecommuting options (41%), and compressed workweeks (32%).
- Cutting perks and benefits.
- Rehiring retirees and postponing retirement.
- Freelance or contract hiring. Though employers still plan to be cautious regarding the number of full-time employees they add in 2010, some will turn to freelance or contract employees.
Nearly one-third (30%) of employers anticipate hiring freelancers or contractors in 2010, up slightly from 28% reported in 2009. Only 6% expect to employ more freelance workers or contractors than last year, while 15% expect to hire the same amount and 10% plan to hire fewer. - Green jobs.
- Bilingual recruitment.
- Business travel. Some 43% of employers say there will be less business travel in 2010 than in 2009.
About the data: The survey was conducted online within the US by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 2,720 hiring managers and human resource professionals during November 2009.
