2011 Employment Outlook: More Jobs, Hiring and Raises

Dust off your resume and get your interview smile ready – companies of all sizes plan to add jobs and hire more full-time and part-time employees and contract workers in 2011.

Three-fifths of employers also expect to give raises to their existing staff members, partly over concerns their best talent will leave their companies once the economy improves, reveals CareerBuilder’s annual jobs forecast.

[Related: 84% of Employees Want to Quit Their Jobs]

Sales, information-technology and customer-service jobs are the most preferred positions to fill among employers who want to boost their full-time headcount . Other top hiring fields include engineering, technology, administrative, business development, research and accounting.

“More than half of employers reported they are in a better financial position today than they were one year ago,” said CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson. “2011 will usher in a healthier employment picture as business leaders grow more confident in the economy. … But job creation will remain gradual. The year will be characterized by steady, measured gains across various industries.”

Full-time Hiring

• 24 four percent of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in 2011, up from 20 percent a year ago and 14 percent in 2009.
• 7 percent plan to decrease headcount, an improvement from 9 percent in 2010 and 16 percent in 2009.
• 58 percent anticipate no change in their staff levels while 11 percent are unsure.

Part-time Hiring

• 13 percent of employers expect to hire part-time employees in the next 12 months, up from 11 percent in 2010 and 9 percent two years ago.
• 5 percent plan to decrease part-time help, an improvement from 8 percent in 2010 and 14 percent in 2009.
• 71 percent anticipate no change in their staff levels while 12 percent are unsure.

Contract/Temporary Hiring

• 34 percent plan to hire contract or temporary workers to supplement leaner staffs in 2011, up from 30 percent last year and 28 percent in 2009.
• 39 percent of employers plan to transition some contract or temporary staff into full-time, permanent employees.

Hiring By Company Size

• 30 percent of employers with more than 250 employees plan to increase full-time, permanent headcount in 2011.
• 27 percent of employers with 51 to 250 employees plan to boost staff levels.
• 14 percent of employers with 50 or less employees look to bump up their headcount.

Compensation

• 31 percent of employers will provide higher initial job offers to job candidates, up from 29 percent last year. While most increases will likely fall within the same 1 to 3 percent range, 8 percent of employers expect to up initial job offers by 5 percent or more.
• 41 percent of employers are concerned that their best talent will leave their organizations once the economy improves, as heftier workloads and longer hours take their toll on worker morale.
• 61 percent said they will increase compensation for their existing staff in 2011, up from 57 percent in 2010.  While most employers estimate the average raise will be 3 percent or less, 10 percent expect the average increase will be 5 percent or more.

Researchers surveyed more than 2,400 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes from Nov. 15. to Dec. 2.

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Reach BusinessNewsDaily staff writer Brian Anthony Hernandez at Bhernandez@TechMediaNetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter (@BAHjournalist) and become his friend on Facebook (BAH Journalist) to stay updated on news about small businesses, technology, social media, consumer trends and workplace behavior.