A shortage of qualified talent makes hiring more challenging, and nearly 50 percent of employers plan to turn to temporary and contract staff to help fill their needs, according to the 2014 Workforce Hiring Projections Survey released today by PrideStaff, a national staffing franchise.

Survey respondents cited the following as their biggest hiring challenges:

• Shortage of qualified talent: 56.2 percent
• Budget/payroll constraints: 32.5 percent
• Lack of time to hire: 8.4 percent
• Cost of hiring: 2.9 percent

“To thrive in today's economic and employment conditions, businesses must staff their organizations more strategically — especially if they plan to hire skilled and general labor,” said PrideStaff COO Tammi Heaton.

The online survey was conducted in May 2014 and included nearly 1,000 individuals, representing a wide range of industries and company sizes.