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Hiring plans up for Q4, CareerBuilder survey finds

October 08, 2015

Employers expect full-time, permanent hiring in the fourth quarter to be the most robust since 2006 and seasonal hiring to outpace last year’s projections by a healthy margin, according to CareerBuilder’s fourth-quarter 2015 US job forecast released today.

The survey found 34% of employers plan to add full-time, permanent employees in the fourth quarter, up from the 29% who planned to hire in the fourth quarter of 2014 and 25% in the last quarter of 2013.

And hiring rose when reviewing the third quarter, according to the survey; 39% of employers added full-time, permanent headcount in the third quarter, up from 34% in the third quarter of last year and 28% in 2013. Only 10% decreased headcount in the past quarter, unchanged from the third quarter of last year.

Seasonal hiring activity over the next three months is also expected to show notable year-over-year gains. The survey found 33% of employers expect to hire seasonal employees in the fourth quarter, up from 26% who planned the same last year. Additionally, 57% expect to transition some seasonal staff into full-time, permanent roles, up from 42% last year.

When asked about pay, 37% of employers said they will increase pay for their seasonal staff, up 10 percentage points over last year. The survey found 72% of seasonal employers will pay $10 or more per hour, while 19% will pay $16 or more.

The amount of retailers planning to hire seasonal help in the fourth quarter increased 10 percentage points over last year.

“Our study is reflecting a durability in the US economy and labor market,” said CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson. “Employer confidence is widespread and the strongest we’ve seen since 2006. Hiring will continue on an upward trajectory for both permanent and seasonal positions, with pay expected to improve over last year as companies keep pace with minimum wage hikes and compete more aggressively for elusive talent.”

Seasonal positions companies are hiring for in the fourth quarter include:

  • Customer service: 46%
  • Administrative/clerical support: 23%
  • Hosting/greeting: 17%
  • Shipping/delivery: 16%
  • Accounting/finance: 15%
  • Sales (non-retail): 1%
  • Technology: 10%

The survey was conducted online within the US by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,326 hiring and human resource managers. The survey was conducted between Aug.12 and Sept. 2, 2015.