Nearly three-fourths of direct marketing companies plan to add staff this quarter, according to the latest Bernhart Associates employment survey.
“The new jobs index is at its highest level since the survey began in 2001,” Jerry Bernhart, president of Bernhart Associates Executive Search, Owatonna, MN, said yesterday. “There is a small increase in the percentage of companies planning layoffs this summer but that will be more than offset with new hires.”
Results of the quarterly survey are published in the Direct Marketing Association's annual Statistical Fact Book.
Among 132 DM companies responding, 71 percent said they planned to add employees in the third quarter compared with 63 percent last quarter. Areas of demand for new hires include account management, sales and analytics.
“Year-to-year, the survey shows hiring is up about 10 percent over last summer,” Bernhart said.
As for staff reductions, 8 percent said cutbacks would occur this quarter, up from 5 percent last quarter. One in five respondents said their companies have hiring freezes in place, the same as last quarter.
Companies interested in being added to the quarterly survey should send an e-mail to [email protected] with “opt-in” in the subject line.
