Weakening economic signals are having their effect on the employment outlook for digital and direct marketers in the third quarter (Q3), according to the latest employment report by direct and digital marketing recruitment firm, Bernhart Associates Executive Search.

Bernhart has been conducting quarterly hiring surveys since 2001 and the latest findings reveal:

• 39 per cent of survey respondents said they will add to staff during the third quarter of 2010, down four points from Q2.
• 23 per cent of respondents currently have a hiring freeze, representing a slight increase from 20 per cent last quarter.
• The percentage of companies planning layoffs in Q3 grew to six per cent, compared with three per cent during the spring quarter. 

Company principal, Jerry Bernhart, said the survey data reflect a mood of continued caution: "Half of all respondents said their hiring plans won’t be changing this summer and most of the hiring will be replacements rather than newly-created positions.

"I’ve also noticed an uptick in calls to our office from individuals who have recently been laid off."

But for some digital and direct marketing job categories at certain levels, Bernhart said opportunities are out there: "There’s a huge demand for skilled analysts and we’re also seeing a solid comeback in lower-level online marketing-related positions, including SEM and SEO managers, affiliate and relationship managers and email marketing managers." He added that media buyers also appeared high on the list of positions expected to be in short-term demand.

Bernhart explained the data also point to an upswing in the business-to-business segment: "B2B is planning more hires, less layoffs and has fewer hiring freezes than B2C. Those same indices for agencies, suppliers and marketers all showed little variation."