Fifty-one percent of employers and recruiters anticipate hiring more professionals in the second half of 2011 than in the previous six months, according to a survey released by Dice Holdings Inc. (NYSE: DHX).

A broad spectrum of industries expect to step up hiring in the next six months, including energy, technology, telecom, media, Internet, distribution, financial services, consulting and retail.

“The recovery in jobs appears to be broadening to include more industries, more professions and certainly more local markets,” said Scot Melland, chairman, president and CEO of Dice Holdings Inc. “We see this every day in our businesses as more and more companies return to recruiting and speed-to-hire becomes increasingly important.”

More than 1,000 companies, government entities and recruiting firms participated in the survey, which was conducted in mid-May. Of the respondents, 43 percent had more than 500 employees.