job forecastThe United States job forecast for 2015 is predicting its best outlook in nearly 10 years. Hiring managers and human resource professionals from coast to coast are expecting to hire more this year, and many companies will be increasing salaries. Permanent full-time and contract hires are both trending upward. A few of the many hot areas for hiring in 2015 include Engineering, Information Technology, and Math.

 

Show Me the Numbers

36% of employers plan to increase full-time hires

31% of hiring managers plan to create jobs in the hot areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math – Up from 26% from last year

46% of employers plan to hire contract workers in 2015 – Up from 42% last year

56% of these employers plan to transition their hires to full-time, permanent roles.

82% of employers plan to increase compensation for existing employees – Up from 73% last year

64% will offer higher starting salaries for new employees – Up from 49% last year

 

Trends to Expect in 2015

Education Requirements will Become More Strict
Many companies will hold employees to higher standards, requiring continued education and Master’s Degrees for Executive and Management job openings.

Work Environments will be More Collaborative
A lot of companies are implementing open space floor plans, and doing away with cubicles to easily collaborate and share ideas with employees.

More Small Businesses will be Hiring
To meet the needs of increasing market demands, small businesses are expected hire more this year. 29% of businesses with 250 or fewer employees are expected to add full-time, permanent workers. This is an encouraging statistic, as it has increased 7% from last year’s expected hires.

 

Getting Off on the Right Foot

The job forecast for 2015 is encouraging for both job seekers and employers. There isn’t a better time than now to obtain a new job. Whether it’s a full-time and permanent position, or a contract position, there are many industries that are hiring now! If you are currently in pursuit of a new opportunity in an industry on the rise, starting your job search now would be smart.

Data Source: Harris Poll – A sample of 2,192 hiring managers and HR professionals across industries.