Robert Half International News Release (03/13/12)

More than one-quarter (26%) of the attorneys interviewed for the quarterly Robert Half Legal Hiring Index plan to hire full-time legal staff during the second quarter of 2012, while 4% anticipate staff reductions. The net 22% increase in hiring activity compares with a net hiring increase of 27% predicted in the first quarter of 2012. Some 57% of attorneys polled expect no change in staff levels in the next three months. More than half (59%) of the attorneys say it is challenging to find skilled legal professionals, up eight points from the previous quarter. Hiring activity is expected to take place predominantly at law firms, and bankruptcy or foreclosure, litigation, and general business or commercial law are the practice areas expected to see the most growth in the coming months.

Robert Half International News Release (03/13/12)

Some 13% of marketing and advertising executives plan to add full-time staff in the next three months, according to the Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals, and 3% predict reductions in staff. Most survey respondents, 80%, expect to make no changes to the size of their teams; this is up four points from the previous quarter’s forecast. The net 10% of executives planning to hire in the second quarter is up one point from the same time period in 2011 and down four points from the first-quarter 2012 forecast. Account services, Web design or production, and brand or product management are the specialties in greatest demand, according to survey respondents.

Wanted Analytics (03/13/12) Abby Lombardi

More than 5,000 cloud computing job ads were placed online in the U.S. last month, according to Wanted Analytics. Hiring demand for people with cloud skills has spiked dramatically, up 92% compared with February 2011 and 400% compared with February 2010. More than 3,400 of the ads placed last month were for tech talent, a 99% increase from a year ago. Other jobs that increasingly require cloud experience include marketing managers, sales managers, management analysts, and financial analysts.

NPR Online (03/14/12) Tracy Samilton

Automakers are creating thousands of new jobs amid a sales boom, and their suppliers are racing to keep up with the industry’s growth, adding tens of thousands of new jobs. In a dramatic reversal, many suppliers, after improving efficiency—through downsizing and buyouts—find themselves short-handed.

With the memory of the recent deep recession still so fresh, companies are still wary about hiring too freely. However, Sean McAlinden—an economist with the Center for Automotive Research—says there actually is a danger of having a shortage of parts and workers. He says the supplier industry will need 174,000 additional workers by 2015, and the pace of hiring right now appears to be too slow.

SmartMoney (03/13/12) Anne Kadet

For millions of workers, retirement has been delayed for years, with some saying they may never retire. The number of working people over age 65 reached an all-time low in 2001, when just 13% held a job. Now that rate is rebounding, and fast; last summer, it hit 18%, the highest level since 1962.

Some employers are beginning to appreciate the unique strengths—people skills, accrued wisdom, and a strong work ethic—that seniors can bring to the table. Principal Financial created a formal staffing program that brings retirees back for part-time temporary work while they continue to collect pensions. “They know the culture and they know their way around,” says human resource director Polly Heinen. The typical employee returns three to six months into retirement, taking short-term assignments doing clerical or administrative work for 10 to 20 hours a week. However, according to the Society for Human Resources Management, just 6% of U.S. companies offer formal “phased retirement” programs, down from 13% in 2006.

IndustryWeek (03/14/12) Jonathan Katz

Employers have long fretted about a lack of applicants with the necessary skills to meet modern labor demands, but executives say they are now also having difficultly filling leadership roles within their organizations. Nearly a third of executives polled by Right Management, the talent and career management experts within the ManpowerGroup, cited a lack of high-potential leaders in their organization as their most pressing human resource challenge.

The sluggish economic climate has hampered recruiting efforts, says Michael Haid, senior vice president of talent management for Right Management. “Lean times make it hard for organizations seeking to recruit, retain, or develop future leaders,” he says. “And they’re keenly aware of the tough competitive environment they’re in and the need to hold onto and build leadership.”