A survey of HR managers on their staffing plans for the upcoming quarter reveals that, indeed, the job market is in the doldrums — but not in the tank.
The survey, conducted by CareerBuilder.com and USA Today, asked whether the managers in the upcoming quarter expected to increase staff, decrease staff or stay the same, and compared their answers with the responses they gave last quarter.
- “Are you planning to increase staff?”
Last quarter: 29% said yes.
This quarter: 24% yes. - “Are you planning to decrease staff?”
Last quarter: 13% said yes.
This quarter: 9% said yes. - “Do you plan no change in staffing?”
Last quarter: 60% said yes.
This quarter: 62% said yes.
Other findings
The HR managers offered a couple of other glimpses into the state of the economy:
- Layoff plans were more common in the Northeast than elsewhere in the country; 11% of the managers there said they were cutting staff.
- Only 27% of those surveyed said their employers were planning to give raises exceeding 3%. Meanwhile, the consumer price index is up 4.2%, meaning the majority of workers are losing buying power.