Falling stock prices, corporate scandals and sagging consumer confidence are causing some direct marketers to rethink their hiring plans, according to a Bernhart Associates direct marketing employment survey.
Of the 313 companies responding, 49% said they plan to add to staff in the current third quarter. “That was down from 68% in the second quarter and it’s only 5% more than the same quarter last year when the downturn was firmly taking hold,” said Jerry Bernhart, president of the Owatonna, MN firm.
“The percentage of companies planning to reduce staff has also increased to 9% this quarter compared with 4% last quarter,” Bernhart said.
Among the companies that want to add staff, the percentage of those planning new hires is about equal to those planning to hire replacements only.
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