Marketing and Advertising Executives Forecast Uptick In Third-Quarter Hiring
Survey by The Creative Group Finds Web Design/Production Skills in Greatest Demand
MENLO PARK, Calif., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The employment outlook for marketing and advertising professionals is looking up for the coming quarter, according to The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals. Eighteen percent of marketing and advertising executives interviewed said they plan to increase staff levels in the third quarter of 2010, while 12 percent anticipate declines. The net 6 percent increase in projected hiring activity is up five percentage points from the previous quarter's projection.
The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 500 telephone interviews -- approximately 375 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.
Marketing and advertising executives were asked, "Does your company or agency plan to increase or decrease the number of full-time marketing/advertising personnel on your staff during the third quarter of 2010?" Their responses:
Increase |
18% |
||
Decrease |
12% |
||
No change |
70% |
||
100% |
|||
"Many companies are initiating new projects, particularly those with a digital or social media component, and they require additional resources to complete these tasks," said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group. "In many cases, they realize their current teams are either stretched thin or lack the necessary expertise, so they are bringing in extra support."
Marketing and Advertising Specialties in Demand
When executives who intend to hire were asked in which areas they plan to add staff, web design/production ranked first, with 16 percent of the response, followed by account services and creative/art direction (each 12 percent). Despite high unemployment levels, 45 percent of respondents said it's challenging for their firms to find skilled professionals; this is unchanged from last quarter.
Specialty Areas in Demand |
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Area |
Percentage Hiring |
|
Web design/production |
16% |
|
Account services |
12% |
|
Creative/art direction |
12% |
|
Print design/production |
11% |
|
Social media |
11% |
|
Public relations |
11% |
|
Marketing research |
11% |
|
Brand/product management |
11% |
|
Interactive |
10% |
|
Media services |
7% |
|
Copywriting |
6% |
|
*Note: Multiple responses permitted. Top responses shown. |
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About The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals
The interviews were conducted by an independent research firm. Information from the study is featured in The Robert Half Professional Employment Report -- the first quarterly study of its kind to monitor the hiring environment for professional-level positions exclusively. Based on more than 4,000 telephone interviews with executives throughout the United States, it provides insights on employment trends to help businesses and job seekers prepare for the upcoming quarter. To see how hiring within the creative field compares to other sectors, please visit www.roberthalf.us/per.
About The Creative Group
The Creative Group specializes in placing a range of highly skilled creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis. The Creative Group's internal account managers typically have prior experience working within the creative industry, which helps them better understand their clients' needs and their freelancers' unique talents. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., the firm has offices in major markets across the United States and in Canada. More information, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and the firm's award-winning career magazine, can be found at www.creativegroup.com.
SOURCE The Creative Group
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