Despite economic uncertainty, D.C.-area companies are hiring.
In the second half of 2024, 46% of D.C.-area employers plan to add new permanent positions, and 48% intend to fill vacant positions, according to staffing firm Robert Half.
“The Washington, D.C.-area’s hiring outlook for the second half of the year is strong. It is being driven by government spending, technology, health care and the consulting sectors,” said Matt Deneroff, branch director with Robert Half in the D.C. region.
Companies filling jobs are not necessarily adding to their own payrolls. Contracting work in the D.C. region is a major part of the workforce. Those are generally good-paying jobs that afford those contract workers a variety of opportunities based on their skills as they move from assignment to assignment, and contract workers are attractive to employers facing pent-up demand for their services.
“We anticipate that the pent-up demand will result in the resumption of projects. And when projects resume, more companies look to bring on contract-based professionals that will help augment their staff and help alleviate potential worker burnout,” Deneroff said.
Having jobs to fill does not mean being able to fill them. Nationwide, Robert Half said 48% of hiring managers cite lack of applicants with the required skills and hiring quickly enough to land the best talent as top challenges, as well as meeting candidates’ salary expectations.
About two-thirds of hiring managers responding to Robert Half’s survey said they would be willing to bend experience requirements if the candidate possessed the skills needed for an open role.
Job seekers with the right skills still wield some leverage because of demand, and for those looking, there are red flags that will scratch a company from the list.
“People like transparency and having a salary range up front can help set proper expectations. When employees learn there has been high turnover within an organization and it hasn’t been properly addressed, that can be another cause for concern,” Deneroff said.
Robert Half received responses from 2,500 hiring managers for its survey about hiring plans for the remainder of 2024. The survey was conducted in June. See the full survey results by Robert Half.
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