Most executives surveyed are optimistic about 2015, according to the Employer Associations of America’s 2015 National Business Trends Survey.

Increases in staffing levels for 2015 are expected for 52 percent of employers responding to the survey, up from 47 percent reported in 2014 and 34 percent in 2013. Newly created jobs account for 8 percent of the hiring, while another 62 percent of employers state their hiring is partly due to the addition of new jobs. The positions most difficult to hire remain professional staff and skilled production workers, cited by 44 percent and 42 percent of respondents respectively. Forty-three percent of employers plan to emphasize recruiting in 2015, up from 31 percent in 2014.

When asked to compare 2014 business results to 2013, 94 percent of executives surveyed reported 2014 was about the same or better than 2013, up from the 90 percent who had projected 2014 would be the same or better at this time last year. And 94 percent of survey respondents expect the overall 2015 economic outlook to be about the same or better in comparison to 2014.

“Despite strong continued optimism for 2015, employers are keenly aware of short- and long-term competition and talent challenges looming ahead,” said Meredith Wise, chair, EAA board of directors.

Employers are still focused on the following serious short-term challenges to their businesses:

• Competition: 30 percent
• Cost of regulatory compliance: 26 percent
• Skilled labor shortage: 27 percent
• Professional/technical staff shortage: 20 percent
• Ability to pay for benefits: 23 percent

The percentage of executives expecting these challenges to be serious in the long term increases dramatically in all cases, with the ability to pay benefits reported as the top challenge at 39 percent, competition moving up to 36 percent, skilled labor shortage increasing to 34 percent, and professional/technical shortage moving to 27 percent.

Employer confidence has improved over one year ago, with 82 percent of participating organizations reporting pay increases in 2014, according to the report. This is up from the 74 percent of participating organizations that had planned to award increases a year ago.

Compensation strategies for 2015 include:

• 78 percent of respondents reported plans to award wage/salary increases in 2015
• 40 percent plan to award variable/bonus awards
• 13 percent will give lump-sum awards during the year

Only 6 percent of organizations surveyed plan to freeze or reduce pay in 2015, down from the 10 percent that planned this as a cost-cutting measure for 2014.

To overcome challenges in recruitment and retention, 38 percent of executives surveyed said they plan to continue increasing their 2015 training budgets. Fifty-eight percent reported a key focus is providing existing staff with additional training/development. Fifty percent of respondents are filling jobs with existing staff who lack the job skills, while 46 percent are focusing on staff retention where recruitment is difficult.

The EAA is a not-for-profit national association consisting of 33 regional employer associations. The organization surveyed 1,417 companies, covering locations in all 50 states, in October and November of 2014.