Twelve percent of executives interviewed for the Robert Half Professional Employment Report say they are planning to hire professional-level staff in the fourth quarter of 2011, while 5 percent foresee making cutbacks. The resulting net 7 percent increase in hiring activity is up four points from the third-quarter forecast. The portion (82 percent) of hiring executives saying they anticipate no change in staff levels is down from 90 percent three months ago.
Meanwhile, 59 percent of executives interviewed for the report said it is challenging to find skilled professionals today, up 17 points from the third quarter.
Fourth-quarter hiring projections were higher than the third-quarter forecast in nearly all professional segments.
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