Not Hiring Not Firing

According to a new survey from CareerBuilder, 60 percent of hiring managers and workers in the private sector said their staff remained exactly the same. The survey, entitled "Q2 2009 Job Forecast," took a close look at the hiring and firings that went on in the first quarter of 2009. When it comes to hiring, 13 percent of companies reported increasing their number of full-time employees. Last year at this same time 31 percent of companies surveyed said they increased in their staff. When it came to layoffs, 26 percent said there was a reduction in headcount, last year at this time around 13 percent of companies reported layoffs. As stated above though, 60 percent of companies remained exactly the same. Looking towards the future, in the second quarter 14 percent of employers said the expect to hire more fulltime employees and 64 percent predict no increases or decreases in the coming months. Another 14 percent foresee some layoffs to come. More statistics regarding benefits, reductions and other important statistics affecting employment after the jump. Many human resource managers are anticipating huge boost with the economic stimulus package. Nearly half (48 percent) believe their organizations will see more business from the stimulus package. Another 23 percent say their companies plan to bring back laid off workers when the economy turns around. Perhaps it's the job of HR to be positive, but those are some encouraging statistics. On a dour note, 42 percent of employers reported experiencing cuts in benefits and another 31 percent expect cuts in the second quarter. Benefits that have either been reduced or eliminated include bonuses, 401K matching and healthcare coverage. In an effort to increase productivity, 23 percent of companies said they are taking advantage of the stalling economy to replace lower-performing employees with top talent that may not have been available in a healthier economy. Areas that have seen increases in job replacement are sales, accounting/finance, retail and customer service. For those seeking jobs, 71 percent of workers who were laid off and have not found work yet said they are looking for jobs outside of their chosen profession. Around 69 percent of hiring managers say they are open to hiring someone with no background in the area they are hiring for if the applicant has skills that might translate. This of course, would most likely be in a good economy. In the current economy, when most companies are either not hiring or hiring to replace lower performers, the numbers seem to indicate that hiring managers are seeking employees with more experience than the position might demand. With talent readily available it does appear that companies have a their pick of applicants. Overall the survey appears to be a mixed bag of good and bad news. Perhaps the most that we can look forward to is steady employment right now with few reductions in salaries and benefits.

Fishbowl

Not Hiring Not Firing

Becki Heller

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Becki Heller