Steady Employment Growth Expected to Continue for Canada in the New Year, Finds CareerBuilder.ca's 2012 Job Forecast

TORONTO, Dec. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third year in a row, an increased number of employers plan to add full-time, permanent headcount with a continued emphasis on hiring in technology and revenue-producing fields. Information Technology was the top functional area employers said they will be recruiting for in 2012 as they focus on innovation.  Thirty-seven per cent plan to add IT positions in the New Year. 

The top ten functional areas for recruitment include:

1. Information Technology – 37 per cent
2. Administrative – 32 per cent
3. Engineering – 27 per cent
4. Accounting/Finance – 26 per cent
5. HR – 24 per cent
6. Production – 24 per cent
7. Customer Service – 24 per cent
8. Business Development – 23 percent
9. Sales – 22 per cent
10. Marketing – 17 per cent

"Even as the global economy continues to struggle, Canada is expected to add jobs at a steady pace in 2012," said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. "Our survey data and increases in job postings on CareerBuilder.ca indicate that companies will hire in functional areas that support the efficiency of their business, such as IT, engineering and administrative positions."

CareerBuilder.ca surveyed 292 hiring managers and human resource professionals across multiple industries and company sizes. The national survey was conducted between November 9 and December 5, 2011.

HIRING IN 2012

Full-time
More than a third (34 per cent) of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in 2012, up from 32 per cent for 2011 and 29 per cent for 2010. Ten per cent plan to decrease headcount, on par with 11 per cent for 2011.  Nearly half (48 per cent) anticipate no change in their staff levels while 8 per cent are unsure.

Part-time
Eighteen per cent of employers expect to hire part-time employees in the next 12 months, on par with 20 per cent for 2011 and 18 per cent for 2010.  Nine per cent plan to decrease part-time help, up slightly from 7 per cent for 2011.  Sixty-one per cent anticipate no change in their staff levels while 12 per cent are unsure.

Contract/Temporary
Companies will be relying on interim solutions to help shoulder growing workloads.  Two-thirds (66 per cent) of hiring managers reported they will hire contract or temporary workers to supplement leaner staffs in 2012, up slightly from 51 per cent for 2011. Seventeen per cent expect to add more than last year. Of those hiring contract or temporary workers, half expect to extend job offers for permanent placement in their companies, up from 42 per cent for 2011. 

Compensation
Fifty-seven per cent of employers are concerned that their best talent will leave their organizations in 2012.  Compensation will be one of the incentives used to retain talent, as 75 per cent said they will increase compensation for their existing staff over the next 12 months.  While most employers estimate the average raise will be 3 per cent or less, more than one-in-ten (11 per cent) expect the average increase will be five per cent or more. 

Forty per cent will provide higher initial job offers to job candidates. While most increases will likely fall within the same 1 to 3 per cent range, 9 per cent of employers expect to up initial job offers by 5 per cent or more.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within Canada by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder.ca among 292 Canadian hiring managers (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government) ages 18 and over between November 9 and December 5, 2011 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 292 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 5.74 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder.ca
CareerBuilder.ca is a leading job site in Canada.  Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), the Tribune Company, and The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), CareerBuilder.ca powers the career centers for more than 250 Canadian partners that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences.  These include leading portals such as MSN.ca and Macleans.ca.  Job seekers visit CareerBuilder.ca every month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and job type, sign up for automatic e-mail job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and career management.  For more information about CareerBuilder.ca products and services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.ca.

Media Contact
Michael Erwin
CareerBuilder
+1 773-527-3637
[email protected] 
http://www.twitter.com/CB_Canada_PR

SOURCE CareerBuilder.ca