Vedior North America Survey

U.S. workers continue to enjoy robust job growth in certain industries, shows a report issued today by Vedior North America. The report, based on data gathered from Vedior North Americaís 12 divisions, also shows U.S. employers continue to add jobs across the board. Long standing trends such as a lack of qualified healthcare workers and the loss of programming skills to non-U.S. workers were also validated by the report.

ìThe good news is that U.S. workers continue to enjoy a resurgence in demand as well as higher salaries,î said Greg Netland, CEO of Vedior North America. ìWe also found that Corporate America is being smarter about how, where and when they add jobs, ensuring that they have the right candidate for the job. The combination of these two forces translates into a very good job market for highly skilled and competent workers as the hunt for exceptional employees becomes fierce.î

The report was based on data gathered in 2006 as well as research done by the divisions to better understand the trends that were impacting employment in the various industries served by Vedior North America. The Companyís client base spans virtually all sectors of the American economy including technology, healthcare, professional services and clerical and light industrial. The report also contains information gleaned from conversations with clients regarding their hiring priorities and considerations.

Report Findings
The audit confirmed that many U.S. companies are continuing to hire and Vedior North America expects to see that trend continue in 2007.

ìWe have seen a rapid increase in hiring in the last few years as the American economy rebounded from the 2001-2002 recession,î commented Netland. ìAlthough we do see evidence that growth will abate from the frantic pace of recent years, we believe that U.S. employers will continue to add jobs. In fact, we are already seeing a gap between supply and demand forcing companies to work extra hard to find qualified employees. At the end of the day, this translates into higher salaries and more bargaining power for workers to be choosey about the job offers they accept.î

The purpose of the report was to outline the conditions affecting employment in the industries served by Vedior North America. Following is a breakdown of the findings by industry:

Information Technology ñ Outsourcing to oversea workers continues to make an impact on the IT market. Jobs like programming and entry level IT support are typically being lost to workers in other countries but management level IT workers are in high demand as American companies are unwilling to entrust oversight to overseas workers. In addition to project management positions, security remains a hot area for IT as companies scramble to safeguard their networks.

Vedior North Americaís IT division, Sapphire Technologies, has received 59 percent more job orders for IT professionals in the first 9 months of 2006 than in the corresponding time period in 2005.

Healthcare ñ Long characterized by a shortage of workers in key fields like nursing and primary care, the healthcare industry is bracing for the onslaught of the aging baby boomer segment of the population. As such, the industry will be looking for additional ways such as locum tenens, or the practice of placing doctors on a temporary basis to meet the rising demand for healthcare services. In addition, the allied health fields such as physical and occupational therapy will experience a boom in coming years.

Vedior North Americaís healthcare division, Clinical One, has received 20 percent more job orders for healthcare workers in the first 9 months of 2006 than in the corresponding time period in 2005.

Professional Services ñ The report defines professional services as including the legal, financial and human resources professions. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOA) has created the fastest growing category of project assignments for financial professionals as companies work to meet the new strict requirements. In addition, the increase in mergers and acquisitions has placed legal professionals with experience in MandA activity in high demand.

Vedior North Americaís professional services division, Vedior Professional Services, has received 26 percent more job orders in the first 9 months of 2006 than in the corresponding time period in 2005.

Clerical and Light Industrial ñ Employee turnover continues to affect this segment of the market as workers are motivated by hourly pay rather than any sense of loyalty to the employer. Companies are becoming increasingly interested in more thorough background checks including drug testing as they seek to limit their exposure to less desirable workers.

Vedior North Americaís clerical and light industrial division, Placement Pros, has received 17 percent more job orders for workers in the first 9 months of 2006 than in the corresponding time period in 2005.

The full report can be found here