Only 5% of direct marketing employers anticipate reducing staff levels in the second quarter of 2004, compared with 12% of those surveyed in the first quarter, and 11% of those in second-quarter 2003, according to a new survey.
At 63%, the number planning to add staff during the quarter was nearly equal that in the first quarter (64%) and higher than a year ago. In second quarter 2003, 59% said they planned to add staff.
The number of companies indicating they were under a hiring freeze was 16%, the lowest level since the survey’s inception in winter 2001.
Do the quarter-over-quarter numbers hold more meaning than the year-over-year figures? “I am looking at sequential numbers. It is giving us a sense for how we are doing as we come out of this downturn,” said Jerry Bernhart, president of Bernhart Associates Executive Search, which conducted the survey.
Bernhart continued, “The problem with looking at year over year is that we were looking at a whole different economy a year or two ago.”
Bernhart also noted that the employment figures, which are generated from an e-mail survey, are not seasonally adjusted.
Companies interested in participating in the quarterly survey should send an e-mail to [email protected] with “opt-in” in the subject line.
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