ExecuNets executive employment report

Recruiter Sentiment
Executive recruiters are slightly tempering their bullish expectations for the employment market heading into 2006 as concerns over higher energy prices and inflation grow.

Amid widespread speculation on the effects hurricanes Rita and Katrina would have on the employment market, the Recruiters Confidence Index (RCI) fell to 62% at the end of the third quarter. Despite this softening, search firms expect executive job growth to continue at a strong pace with the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Financial Services industries leading the way.

During the next six months, the executive search industry is expecting a 12.5% increase in the number of assignments received from clients. To prepare for this growth, 49% of all search firms have plans to hire additional professional staff in the fourth quarter - this is nearly double the number of search firms that added professional staff in the third quarter (26%).

Executive Sentiment
Executives are significantly less optimistic about the employment marketís prospects in the face of soaring energy prices and early signs of inflation.

While the Executive Employment Outlook (EEO) remains above its 12-month low reached in the second quarter, confidence continues to waver as the indicator fell to 32% at the end of the third quarter.

Despite increased uncertainty, the expected length of an executive job search fell to 8.7 months ñ the lowest level in two years. And executives currently searching for a new opportunity had an average of 2.8 interviews during the past thirty days ñ up 40% from the start of the year.

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