Poll Suggests Second-Half Slowdown in Hiring

Hiring in the financial services sector will dip slightly in the second half of 1998, but still outpace the overall economy, according to a recently released survey by Management Recruiters International Inc.

Of 932 financial executives polled, 62% said they would hire more professional and sales employees in the final six months of the year. The survey for the first half had found that an "all-time high" of 64.3% would increase hiring, the company said.

By contrast, the survey found that 56.5% of nearly 6,000 executives polled from all industries said they would expand their staffs in the second half.

"There is no sign of weakening in the volume of hiring in the financial arena," said Allen Salikof, president of the Cleveland-based executive search firm. "Strong and steady growth has been occurring over the past three years at a time when competition for good candidates is intensifying."

The survey also found that 32.8% of the financial services managers who were polled plan to maintain staffing levels in the second half, up from 31.3% in the first half. And 5.2% said they intend to cut jobs, up 8 basis points from the first half.

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