Robert Half International News Release (02/29/12)

A new Robert Half survey indicates that hiring in professional fields is likely to continue increasing in the second quarter, but at a slower pace than forecast for the first quarter. A net 2% of executives interviewed for the Robert Half Professional Employment Report plan to add full-time staff in the second three months of 2012, down from 10% last quarter. The biggest trend in the survey is the increase in the number of respondents who anticipate no change in hiring activity: 89%, compared with 78% last quarter.

The survey also finds that 5% of executives anticipate bringing in additional staff, and 3% expect personnel reductions. The legal field is again expected to see the strongest hiring activity, with a net 22% of lawyers planning to increase staff levels. Meanwhile, 61% of those surveyed reported recruiting challenges.