MSNBC (03/06/12) Eve Tahmincioglu

New studies showing that more employees are quitting their jobs indicate an increase in worker confidence. A survey of recruiters by MRINetwork shows a jump in job openings resulting from resignations to 28% in January from 21% in July 2011. Meanwhile, a February report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that 1.9 million people quit their jobs, indicating more confidence about job availability among employees even though the figure trails the 2.8 million resignations reported in December 2007.

Nancy Halverson, senior vice president of operations at MRINetwork, adds that hiring has picked up a bit as well. “Organizations are adding and upgrading talent, and all of a sudden, employees are willing to say, ‘I’ll put my name out there,'” she says. Of the 163 recruiters polled by MRINetwork, 56% said candidates are driving the job market. As for how they identify candidates, 11% said active candidates were in the database already, 16% looked to the competition, 18% used referrals, and 25% searched third-party databases. The most desired qualities in candidates are a history of generating revenue, previous employment with a brand name company, and advanced degrees.