Dive Brief:
- Based on CareerBuilder's annual jobs forecast, 40% of employers polled plan to hire full-time workers in 2017 — the strongest showing in 10 years, reports SHRM. Harris Poll conducted the national survey of 2,931 employers on CareerBuilder's behalf.
- The poll also showed that 30% of employers expect to hire part-time workers, up from 26% last year, while 50% plan to hire contract or temporary workers, up from 47% a year ago.
- The top five industries expected to see an uptick in hiring are: IT, customer service, production, sales and administration, says SHRM.
Dive Insight:
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed similar positive hiring results in its report on the nation’s largest metropolitan areas. Of the 51 areas studied, 49 showed hiring increases between December 2015 and December 2016. The highest rates were in Dallas (3.3%), Orlando (4.2%), Jacksonville (3.3%), Salt Lake City (3.4%), Sacramento (3.2%) and Seattle (3.4%).
CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson told SHRM about new challenges he predicted for employers: “One of the key challenges for employers will be bridging the talent gaps within their own organizations by either offering better wages or by helping to reskill and upskill workers."
The positive news about increasing hiring in 2017 was tempered by moderate expectations of job growth under the Trump administration. Of those polled, 23% predicted an increase in jobs, 27% expected no impact, 7% anticipated a decrease in jobs, while a significant 43% were unsure.