Bloomberg (01/13/12) Black, Thomas

Companies are adding U.S. workers, accelerating a rebound in hiring, as chief executive officers prepare for greater demand in a strengthening economic recovery. The hiring reflects optimism among chief executives that the economy will continue to strengthen and more workers will be needed to meet demand. Manufacturing has already been a bright spot in the labor market, with U.S. factory payrolls expanding by 225,000 jobs in 2011, more than double the total from a year earlier. “The ground seems to be set for a pretty decent near-term outlook for manufacturing,” says Stephen Stanley, chief economist for Pierpont Securities. “There’s still room for job growth there if demand continues to pick up.”

The U.S. may add 1.7 million jobs in 2012, the fastest pace since 2006, based on economists’ estimates compiled by Blue Chip Economic Indicators. Faster payroll growth should spur a 2.3% expansion in the U.S. economy this year, according to the median estimate of 84 economists compiled by Bloomberg. Hiring already started picking up in mid-2011 among employers seeking engineering and technology-related workers, notes Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide Inc.