Small Business Employers Reveal Hiring Plans for Second Half of 2016

Now that it’s the half point of 2016, it’s a good time to check in and get a pulse on how small business employers and workers are feeling about their plans for the second half of the year.

According to CareerBuilder’s Midyear Job Forecast, nearly half of small business employers plan to hire full-time, permanent staff over the next six months, and more than a quarter plan to hire temporary or contract workers. Meanwhile, nearly 1 in 4 workers at small businesses plan to change jobs in the next six months.

Below are highlights from the survey:

• 45 percent of small business employers plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in the second half of 2016
• 30 percent plan to hire part-time employees in the second half of 2016
• 27 percent plan to hire temporary or contract workers in the second half of 2016
• 17 percent of small business employers plan to hire interns in the second half of 2016

Starting Salaries

Nearly 2 in 5 small business employers (38 percent) expect to increase starting salaries on job offers in the second half of 2016. One in five (20 percent) plan to increase salaries by 5 percent or more. More than 3 in 4 small business employers (78 percent) say they are willing to negotiate salaries on initial job offers.

Hot Areas for Hiring

Customer service (27 percent), sales (25 percent), information technology (18 percent), production (18 percent), human resources, clinical, business development, marketing, top the list of business functions for which small business employers plan to hire in the second half of 2016.

Hiring in Q2 2016

Thirty-eight percent of small business employers added full-time, permanent headcount in the second quarter. The majority (60 percent) made no change, while 8 percent decreased headcount, and 2 percent were unsure.

Hiring in Q3 2016

Looking ahead, 33 percent of small business employers plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in the third quarter of 2016. The majority (62 percent) anticipate no change, while 7 percent are undecided. Only 6 percent expect to downsize staffs during this time.

Employees Looking Elsewhere

Nearly a quarter of employees at small businesses (24 percent) said they are likely or very likely to change jobs in the second half of 2016. Dissatisfaction with salary, limited opportunities for growth and limited career advancement opportunities topped the reasons employees indicated they planned to change jobs.

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