Careerbuilder: expect more U.S. hiring in 2010
One of every five employers in the United States plans to hire more full time permanent employees in 2010, according to Careerbuilder.com and its Harris-conducted online survey of 2700 hiring managers and human resource professionals. As reported by Reuters.com, this is a considerable jump from the 14 percent hiring expectation one year ago. Of those surveyed, 9 percent will be reducing their employee numbers, down from the 16 percent cut of 2009. The majority – 61 percent – do not plan to change their staffing levels.
“There’s definitely an uptick. The number of employers who say they’re going to add full-time workers is up from last year, and that is very good news,” said Michael Erwin, senior career advisor at CareerBuilder, in the report.
One third of the hiring employers will be filling technology positions, 28 percent will look for customer service staff, and 23 percent will increase their sales force.
“The employers we’re talking to are really shifting from cost containment,” Erwin said. “Now it’s really about growth so I think you’re going to see customer service jobs added, sales jobs added. “Those are really what can grow the business and make the money come back and get the customers back,” he said.
What are not on the rise, however, are salaries and benefits. Clearly, employers are being cautious with their spending. While 57 percent expect to increase salaries for current employees, this is a decrease from 2009′s 65 percent expectation. Many – 37 percent - will cut benefits such as medical coverage, bonuses and matching contributions to 401(k)s. The same percentage will replace low-performing employees with new hires.
The survey was conducted online for CareerBuilder.com by Harris Interactive from November 5 to November 23. CareerBuilder is owned by Gannett Co Inc, Tribune Co, McClatchy Co and Microsoft Corp.
Internet users online 13 hours a week, says Harris
A new Harris Poll finds that adult Internet users are now spending an average of 13 hours a week online. Of course, people’s usage varies greatly; one in five of adult Internet users are online for only two hours or less a week while one in seven are spending 24 or more hours a week online. While this usage shows a steady increase in hours online since the seven-hour average of 1999, it’s still slightly below th 14-hour average in October 2008, as Internet users flocked to the Web to hear about the economic downturn and watch U.S. election coverage.
Additonal Harris Poll findings:
* 30-39 year olds average 18 hours online, and two age groups – 25-29 and 40-49 - each averaged 17 hours. The 184 million total adults online has held steady since 2007, and represents 80 percent of all adults. What’s important, however, is that this figure includes those at home, at work, at school, and at any other location. What has increased steadily, however, are the number of adults who are online at home. That figure is now 76 percent; the 2005 figure was 66 percent, 2006 70 percent, and 2008 75 percent.
Harris conjectures that the increase is probably due to a growing ability to use the Internet, an increase in sites and applications, an increase in watching TV online and more online purchases. They also suggest that the U.S. recession may have something to do with consumer’s interest in free entertainment. We suggest it may as well be demonstrative of the growth of telecommuting, and people creating work-at-home companies of their own.
Here’s the announcement, with tables that break out the numbers.
U.S. foreclosures drop in popularity, survey says
Real estate site Trulia.com, and its foreclosure partner RealtyTrac just released the latest results of an ongoing survey tracking home buyers’ attitudes towards foreclosures.
The new online survey conducted by Harris Interactive in November indicated that consumers are notably less interested in the purchase of foreclosed properties than they had been six months ago. Findings indicated 43 percent of U.S. adults are likely or at least somewhat likely to consider buying a foreclosed property; in May 2009 the number was 55 percent. Those most interested in buying the foreclosures were real estate investors, those who already own their own home and want to trade up, and current renters.
The survey indicated an interest in the purchase of a second home or investment property by 23 percent of respondents; of these 92 percent were at least somewhat likely to buy a foreclosure. Of the 24 percent of current homeowners that were considering a trade-up 88 percent were looking into foreclosed properties. Of the renters responding to the survey, 57 percent were thinking about buying a foreclosure, with an obvious dichotomy of interest according to age. Of renters ages 18-34, 61 percent were somewhat likely to consider purchasing a foreclosure. The number jumped to 65 percent for those 35-44, while only 40 percent of the 55+ respondents would consider foreclosures.
Foreclosures are popular because of the discounts they offer, according to Harris results, with expectations of 50 or higher percent off the asking price the norm in the Northeast U.S. Two out of three U.S. adults expect to save at least 30 percent.
“Even during the darkest economic times, dreams don’t die,” Trula co-founder and CEO Pete Flint said in the report. “Foreclosures are providing never before seen opportunities for new segments of homebuyers and allowing renters to become first time buyers, allowing investors to grab great deals and allowing families to trade up to larger homes. Until unemployment levels off and starts to get better, we expect foreclosures to continue to play a big role in the 2010 housing market.”
According to the survey, 95 percent of U.S. adults are willing to invest money in renovations when purchasing a foreclosed property. Additionally, more than half (55 percent) of respondents are willing to spend 20 percent or more of the purchase price to make improvements on a distressed property.
This November 2009 survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive via its QuickQuery online omnibus service on behalf of Trulia between November 5-9, 2009 among 2,203 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older.
Weird workplace wants
Nearly 3000 full time hiring managers in the U.S. recently revealed the crazy, wacky, and oft-outrageous employee requests from their various suggestion boxes. Harris Interactive conducted the online survey for Careerbuilder.
One exhibitionist employee wanted permission to change her clothes in her cubicle, while another wan worker wished for a tanning bed in the break room.
Beer in the vending machine was requested by Greta Guzzler, while another valued employee asked that family medical leave be extended to cover his jail time (hopefully this wasn’t the CFO.)
Bikini Friday was a request of one lithesom lady (or perhaps leering lad), while Nick Nyctophobia asked to work only when the sun was up.
Mary Juana wanted a very “special” smoking section (we’ll let you guess), and another respondent asked (of her human resources representative) that her human resources representative wear nicer shoes. No word on whether she still works there.
Not clowning around at all, another staffer wanted to take additional time off to pursue his second career as a comic performer.
Weary Wanda wanted to replace her desk with a futon so she could work supine.
An employee swimming pool, and relocation of the team meeting to Hawaii rounded out the wish lists.
Would that these folks had thought outside the suggestion box. 
Careerbuilder survey: Nearly half recent laid-off workers rehired
In a very glass-half-full announcement, Careerbuilder reported on its survey of laid off U.S. workers. The announcement concluded that 48 percent of those laid off in the last three months have been rehired. It also stated that of those laid off in the last 12 months, 56 percent were able to negotiate comparable or higher pay for their new positions.
What is does NOT state, however, is of those laid off in the last 12 months, how many have found jobs. Assuming that it’s less than the 48 percent rehires announced of those who lost jobs one, two or three months ago (or why would it have gone unannounced) that would indicate that no more than 26 percent, or approximately one-in-four, found jobs that paid them what they’d been earning previously. That’s good news? Hmmm.
Additionally, 38 percent of those now working are doing so in new fields, most happily; and 20 percent relocated for their new jobs. Of those still unemployed, 29 percent reported that they’re considering starting a business, though we’re not sure if considering means they have a dream, or they’re actively working to make their dream come true. What seems sad to us is that 28 percent of those laid off have changed their appearance to job seek. While an obese person’s efforts to lose weight is never a bad thing, are U.S. hiring managers so shallow that they’re influenced by hair color, makeup and cosmetic procedures? According to Careerbuilder, more than one in four of the U.S. unemployed think so.
The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive, with 921 U.S. former employees 18 and over participating. We have a call in to Careerbuilder for further clarification.
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