Jobs Picture Is on the Up Swing

A recent survey of more than 2,400 employers by CareerBuilder.com shows that 26 percent of employers plan to add full-time, permanent employees in the next three months, up five percentage points from 2011 and closely mirroring pre-recession estimates of 27 percent. 

And though temporary seasonal employment will likely pad some of the job numbers, the outlook from employers surveyed was slightly more optimistic for the last quarter as well.

Nearly one-third -- 32 percent -- of employers added full-time, permanent jobs in the third quarter, up from 26 percent last year. Twelve percent decreased their staffing levels, which was about the same as the 11 percent that trimmed staff in the third quarter of 2011. 

Another new survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows a similar uptick in the jobs picture. Employers expect to hire 13 percent more new college graduates from the Class of 2013 than they did from the Class of 2012, according to the group's survey.

Employers in pharmaceutical manufacturing; computer and electronics manufacturing; retail trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; management consulting; and professional services anticipate double-digit increases in hiring.

The percentage of employers with firm plans in place for spring recruiting is also on the upswing, the NACE survey found. This year, 37.6 percent of employers surveyed indicated firm plans to recruit in spring 2013, while just 34.4 percent of employers had indicated firm plans to recruit in spring 2012. 

Despite last month's increase in people applying for unemployment benefits, the look ahead points to better days ahead for job hunters as the economic recovery takes a firmer hold.