New Quarterly Employment Report Tracks Hiring in Professional Occupations

Executives Express Confidence in Business Growth; Nearly Half Report Recruiting Difficulties

TORONTO - Job prospects for Canadian professionals may be brighter in the next quarter, a new survey suggests. Eighteen per cent of executives interviewed for The Robert Half Professional Employment Report said they plan to increase the number of full-time employees in professional occupations in the second quarter, and 3 per cent anticipate declines. The result is a net 15 per cent of respondents who plan to add staff in the coming three months. Eighty-six per cent of executives interviewed expressed confidence in their companies' prospects for growth in the next quarter.

The Robert Half Professional Employment Report is a quarterly survey of executives that focuses exclusively on professional-level hiring. The survey is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,000 executives in Canada about their hiring plans for the upcoming quarter. Among the respondents are chief financial officers (CFOs), chief information officers (CIOs), senior human resources (HR) managers, lawyers, and advertising and marketing executives. Respondents offered their views on hiring plans within their respective fields and the challenge of finding skilled professionals. The survey also measures executives' confidence in their companies' prospects for growth in the second quarter of 2010. Robert Half has been reporting employment data through its Hiring Index program since 1992. For additional information, please visit www.roberthalf.ca/per.

Key Findings
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- A net 15 per cent of executives plan to increase hiring in
professional occupations, such as accounting, finance and information
technology (IT), in the second quarter of 2010.
- Eighty-six per cent of executives polled said they are confident in
their companies' prospects for growth in the second quarter.
- Executives in the finance, insurance and real estate and
transportation industries plan to do the most hiring of professional
staff, with a net 33 per cent of respondents from each sector
projecting hiring increases.
- Nearly half of executives (48 per cent)(1) said it is challenging to
find skilled professionals today.

"The job market is showing steady signs of recovery and companies are looking to add staff to manage critical projects and capitalize on growth opportunities," said Kathryn Bolt, president of Robert Half International's Canadian operations. "Professionals in business-critical occupations are required to manage key operations and will be in demand as the economy improves."

Professional-Level Hiring -- By Industry
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Executives in the finance, insurance and real estate sector, and the transportation industry, expect the most active hiring of professional-level staff, with a net 33 per cent within each category projecting increases in personnel levels.

"The financial services and real estate sectors are showing promising signs for continued growth and will need to add staff, including accounting, IT and marketing professionals, to manage increased activity," said Bolt. "Compliance managers and financial reporting specialists are in particular demand to ensure firms remain compliant with new government regulations."

Increase Decrease
Transportation 34 1
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 33 0
Wholesale 24 1
Professional Services 22 1
Manufacturing 18 12
Business Services 14 6
Retail 13 1
Construction 7 0

Confidence Levels
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When asked how confident they are in their companies' prospects for growth in the next three months, 85 per cent of executives said they were either very confident or somewhat confident. In addition, nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) indicated that recruiting skilled professionals poses a challenge.

"The unemployment rate for professional occupations remains well below the national average and many companies report challenges finding skilled professionals to fill niche requirements", added Bolt. "However, some firms still uncertain about the long-term outlook, are turning to temporary or project professionals to support growing customer demand while they determine their personnel needs."