Bloomberg (01/05/12) Homan, Timothy

Private-sector payrolls increased 325,000 in December, led by the service-providing sector and small businesses, according to the ADP employment report released on Jan. 5. The large gain exceeded the highest projection in a Bloomberg News survey, and is a sign that the U.S. labor market was gaining momentum heading into 2012.

The November level was revised to 204,000 from a prior estimate of 206,000. Observers look to ADP’s report on private-sector payrolls to provide some guidance on the U.S. Labor Department’s jobs estimate, which will be released on Jan. 6 and includes information on both private- and public-sector payrolls.

Dow Jones Newswires (01/05/12)

Approximately 35% of American firms are operating with smaller staffs than before the recession, and to keep pace with market demand, many are turning to staffing and recruiting companies and temporary workers. A new survey from ASA corporate partner CareerBuilder finds that 36% of businesses will engage contract or temporary workers in 2012, up from 34% for 2011, 30% for 2010, and 28% for 2009. Of the firms engaging temporary or contract workers this year, 35% plan to hire them on a permanent basis. Areas of demand for staffing and recruiting positions include health care, information technology, clerical, and managerial. Read the CareerBuilder release.

“Temporary jobs from staffing and recruiting firms are playing an increasingly important role in the economic recovery,” says Eric Gilpin, president of CareerBuilder’s Staffing & Recruiting Group. “Our studies have pointed to a rise in these positions postrecession as companies address growing market needs. Employers are relying on temporary and contract workers to support leaner staffs, and in many cases, will transition those workers to permanent roles.”

“Staffing and recruiting firms are on the front lines when it comes to sourcing talent for businesses of all sizes and across all sectors. Candidates will find good pay, flexibility, opportunities to change careers, valuable skills training, and a bridge to permanent employment,” says Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of the American Staffing Association. “We’ll see more employers and job seekers making connections in the New Year.”

American Medical News (01/05/12) Elliott, Victoria Stagg

Fewer mass layoffs occurred at hospitals in the final months of 2011, and a Manpower survey suggests hiring may increase in the health care industry this year. Mass layoffs are defined as at least 50 people losing their jobs from a single firm. There were seven such incidents at hospitals in November 2011 that affected at least 464 employees, according to the latest report on mass layoffs issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nonclinical staff, rather than physicians, tend to be most affected when an institution lays off workers.

Meanwhile, the quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for the U.S. found that the number of companies planning to hire in the first quarter of 2012 went up. “Slow but steady momentum has improved employer confidence, which is likely why more employers are planning to hire in the first quarter,” says Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup president of the Americas. Jobs in health and education are expected to increase by 3% in the first quarter of 2012, according to the survey.

Wall Street Journal Online (01/04/12) Izzo, Phil

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that while unemployment rates in most cities were below year-earlier levels in November, 133 of 372 metropolitan areas posted flat or declining employment from November 2010.

The highest unemployment rates were concentrated in California with seven of the top eight located in the state. Among metropolitan areas with over a million people, Las Vegas and California’s Inland Empire topped the list with 12.5% each. Minneapolis-St. Paul was the lowest among large cities with a rate of 5.1%.

The Conference Board Review (01/12)

Online advertised vacancies increased by 93,800 in December to 3,951,000, according to The Conference Board’s latest report. The December gains offset the declines of 76,000 in November and 14,000 in October. The supply/demand rate stands at 3.45, indicating there were 3.5 unemployed for every online advertised vacancy in November. “The December increase was a welcome lift for labor demand after a lackluster year,” says June Shelp, vice president at The Conference Board.

Demand for management was among the top occupation groups seeing increased demand, as online advertised vacancies increased by 15,100 to 381,200, which more than offset the previous 2-month decrease of 11,700. Labor demand for computer and mathematical Science workers rose 10,400 to 524,100.

CyberMedia News (01/05/12)

The recent Outlook 2012 survey from InformationWeek Reports found that 56% of respondents said they expect their company to increase tech spending in 2012, a 10% increase from last year. The survey, which encompassed over 600 business technology professionals, found a much better outlook for IT hires than it did two years ago when only 14% of companies were expanding and 18% were making cuts. Now, 25% are planning on expanding and only 9% are reducing.