Employers Expect To Increase Hiring In Second Half Of 2017

More than half of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in the second half of 2017, according to CareerBuilder's 2017 Midyear Job Forecast.

More than half of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in the second half of 2017, according to CareerBuilder’s 2017 Midyear Job Forecast. The nationwide study reveals a significant year-over-year jump in the percentage of companies hiring full-time, part-time and temporary or contract workers from July 1 through December 31. More than half of employers surveyed anticipate offering higher starting salaries for new employees and the majority indicates that bigger paychecks won’t just be for high-skilled workers, they will extend to entry-level workers as well.

In the second half of 2017, 60 percent of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent workers, up from 50 percent last year; 36 percent of employers plan to hire part-time, permanent employees, up from 29 percent last year; and 46 percent of employers plan to hire temporary or contract workers, up from 32 percent last year.

“Events dominating national headlines have had a polarizing effect in the U.S., but most employers remain confident in their outlook for financial growth and plans for hiring,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent Equation. “Job seekers stand to benefit not only from having more options, but also from the growing intensity in the competition for talent. Employers are moving quickly to recruit candidates and they are willing to pay more across job levels. They are also placing a greater emphasis on candidates having a positive experience when they apply to their firms. The current climate puts job seekers in a more advantageous position.”

Wage Trends

Looking at a subset of human resources managers, 72 percent feel they have to start paying higher wages because the market has become increasingly competitive for talent.

The majority say this also applies to entry-level workers:

  • 24 percent say they have to pay more even if the entry-level worker has no college or training
  • 17 percent say they have to pay more, but only if the entry-level worker has a college degree
  • 19 percent say they have to pay more, but only if the entry-level worker has at least some college or training

Information technology (72 percent) is leading the industries hiring in the second half of the year, coming in 12 percentage points higher than the national average for plans to add full-time, permanent headcount. Manufacturing (66 percent), healthcare (64 percent) and financial services (62 percent) are also expected to outperform the national average.

All regions are showing a year-over-year gain in the percentage of employers expecting to hire full-time, permanent employees in the second half of the year. The West leads with 67 percent of employers planning to add headcount, while the South remains on par with the national average. The Northeast and Midwest came in below the national average, but are reporting healthy increases over last year.

Check out the infographic below to learn more about the survey results:

hiring
(CareerBuilder)