Expect an active hiring market for entry-level professionals in 2024, according to a study by Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE: RHI). 

Its survey of hiring managers found 65% of organizations plan to hire entry-level professionals — generally defined as individuals with less than two years of experience — in the first half of 2024. 

By field, administrative and customer had the most ambitious plans, with 76% planning such hires, followed closely by legal at 75%.  

Seventy-two percent of surveyed companies in the marketing and creative sector expect to make such hires, as do 66% in finance and accounting, 57% in human resources and 56% in technology. 

“Bringing in workers who are in the early stages of their career is a smart hiring strategy,” Dawn Fay, operational president of Robert Half, said in a press release. “Recent grads and entry-level professionals can help drive innovation by delivering fresh ideas and new skills.” 

Small firms with fewer than 100 employees reported the most ambitious plans, with 69% planning to hire entry-level employees. This compares with 67% of midsize companies (100 to 999 employees) and 61% of large companies (1,000-plus employees) with such plans.  

Robert Half’s online survey included more than 1,850 managers with responsibility for hiring personnel in finance/accounting, technology, marketing/creative, legal, administrative/customer support and human resources. Hiring managers came from companies with 20 or more employees in the US. The survey took place from Nov. 1 to Nov. 20, 2023.