Odds of a pay raise are growing: 58 percent of companies plan them

A CareerBuilder survey of HR and hiring managers found 58 percent of employers will increase compensation for their current employees before the end of the year, and 24 percent are planning an increase of 5 percent or more on average.

Another 45 percent say they plan to increase starting salaries on new job offers, with 23 percent say they’ll boost starting salaries by 5 percent or more.

And it is not just for high-skill positions. The CareerBuilder survey found 71 percent of hiring managers believe they have to pay entry-level workers more money because of tight talent pools.

“Low unemployment and increasing skills gaps continue to plague employers who are struggling to fill roles at all levels within their organizations,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.

“Fifty percent of U.S. employers reported that it is taking them longer to fill jobs today compared to any other period of time — a trend that is ultimately giving job-seekers more leverage.”

With 6 million job openings across the country, according to the Labor Department, 63 percent of employers surveyed plan to hire full-time permanent workers in the second half of 2018.

In addition to higher starting salaries, some companies are adding various perks, such as signing bonuses, extra paid time off, free lunches and the ability to work remotely, to attract and keep the employees they need.

Among the top positions companies will be hiring for in the second half of the year are customer services and sales, information technology and product and business development.

With opportunities available, employed Americans are looking around. The survey says 22 percent of workers report they are likely to change jobs in the second half of 2018.

CareerBuilder’s survey was conducted by The Harris Poll and included more than 1,000 hiring managers and human resource officers and more than 1,000 full-time U.S. workers across industries and company sizes.