Human Resource Industry Health maintains great rating in latest HR Intelligence Trend Report

HRmarketer.com, the marketing and media visibility service in the human capital industry, released today its June 2005 HRintelligence Trend Report identifying the companies and topics receiving the most media attention in the month of May, as well as the top advertisers and the overall health of the human capital marketplace.



The Trend Report maintained its ìGreatî rating for the overall health of the human resources marketplace, due to higher then expected corporate earnings from several publicly traded HR firms, increased M&A activity and a slight increase in advertising across the major HR trades. Additionally, a leading HR trade magazine, Workforce Management, announced it will double its publication frequency to twice per month in Fall 2005, a sign of increased advertising monies flowing into the space. Lastly, attendance at the June SHRM Conference & Exposition, the industryís largest tradeshow, drew 800 exhibitors, an increase over last year, and over 250 were new exhibitors.

Companies receiving the most media attention in the human resource industry during May included Hewitt Associates, Mercer Human Resources Consulting, SHRM, Towers Perrin, Wal-Mart, Watson Wyatt. The top advertisers included ADP, Aetna, Aon, Delta Dental, Great West Healthcare, MetLife, Monster.com, United HealthCare, VSP, WellPoint.

Editorial HR related topics receiving significant media coverage included employment law, unions and the difficulties they are facing in todayís business world, and the continued growth of outsourcing.

Cautious, yet enthusiastic optimism is how we feel about the overall health of the HR marketplace, says Mark Willaman, president of Fisher Vista LLC, the parent company of HRmarketer.com. Most every HR service provider we spoke to during the last month indicated demand for their services was increasing -- although demand in certain areas, like recruiting and staffing services, is slightly outpacing other HR product categories such as employee benefits. Nevertheless, the overall tide is rising and we are pleased to see positive earnings announcements, an abundance of new product announcements and increased ad placements ñ all signs of a healthy marketplace.

While only members to HRmarketer.com have full access to HRintelligence data, the monthly reports are free to anyone who visits http://www.hrmarketer.com/home/archives.htm and signs up for the HRintelligence eNewsletter.