Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Recruiters See Pockets of Hiring Growth, Despite Economic Challenges

While the U.S. unemployment rate reached its highest level in four years in July, search firms continue to report strong demand for executive talent in several industries, indicating that job growth at the top of the market is not moving in lock step with Labor Department data.

According to a recent survey of 147 executive recruiters conducted by ExecuNet, the executive business, career and recruiting network, 71 percent expect at least a 10-percent increase in search assignments received from corporate clients during the next six months. The industries expected to generate the greatest growth in six-figure job opportunities during this period of time include:

Top Industries for Executive Level Job Growth:

  • Healthcare
  • Energy/Utilities
  • Life Sciences
  • High Tech
  • Business Service

"Despite several well-documented economic hurdles, pockets of growth remain in the executive employment market," says Mark Anderson, president of ExecuNet. "The rapid rise of the energy and utilities sector is particularly notable. Having spent much of the past decade below the radar of many recruiters, companies within these industries are increasingly relying on executive search firms to grow their leadership teams."


The survey also reveals that concerns about the economy’s prospects are indeed impacting the executive search industry’s outlook. Approximately half of all executive recruiters (49 percent) are confident or very confident that the executive employment market will improve during the next six months — down from 64 percent in June.


Introduced in May 2003, the Recruiter Confidence Index is based on a monthly survey of executive recruiters conducted by ExecuNet. Independent analysis of the RCI has confirmed it is a leading indicator of projected executive recruitment activity.

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