Moderate boost seen in Q4 hiring

It's interesting to me that while only 11% of those surveyed plan to add staff in the coming months 47% cite difficulty hiring as a challenge. This certainly mirrors my own experience where despite high unemployment rates key positions are as hard, or harder, to fill than during times of low unemployment. "Good folks are hard to find"

The story.

Looking toward the final months of the year, 11 percent of executives interviewed expect to increase the number of full-time staff they employ in professional occupations in the fourth quarter, according to a survey released Wednesday by Robert Half.

The Menlo Park-based company said its survey showed that five percent of executives anticipate declines, resulting in a net 6 percent increase in hiring activity, up three points from the third-quarter forecast.

Eighty-six percent of respondents expressed at least some confidence in the growth prospects for their companies, rising slightly from 85 percent reported in the third-quarter survey. The number of executives citing recruiting challenges also rose, climbing from 42 percent in the third quarter to 47 percent.