Need more options? Browse Jobs by Company, Date Posted, Job Title, and more job categories

Advice » Job Hunt Strategy » Company & Industry Research » 2011 Employment and ...

2011 Employment and Salary Outlook

By Dona DeZube, Monster Finance Careers Expert

Signs the job market is improving are everywhere, but without a big jolt of shockingly good economic news, it may be hard to believe employment could pick up in 2011.

Positive hiring trends at year-end 2010 included:

10 consecutive months of private-sector employment gains.
The most optimistic corporate hiring trends in more than two years.
An expected 3 percent increase in college hiring over 2010.

Despite those positive hiring trends, economists are still painting a dim picture of the 2011 job market because US companies aren’t creating enough jobs to employ everyone in America who’s unemployed.

What’s more, any brightening in the employment outlook will draw back into the job market millions of discouraged workers who stopped looking for work during the recession.

“We have 500,000 people that have dropped out of the workforce in California alone,” says Jeffrey Michael, PhD, director of the Business Forecasting Center at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. “As the job market improves, they’re going to be coming back in, so it’s going to continue to be difficult to find work.”

Marisa Di Natale, a director of Moody’s Analytics, agrees. “Our forecast is that job growth will continue, but 2011 is still going to be a tough year,” she says. “It will take until 2012 to see significant enough job growth to put a dent in overall unemployment, which will peak at 10 percent in the third quarter of 2011.”

Hiring Outlook Better for Skilled Workers

While many organizations are waiting to pull the trigger on hiring until the economy’s turnaround solidifies, selective hiring will get under way in early 2011, says Mark Szypko, managing director at Salary.com, which powers Monster’s Salary Wizard. “More calls will be coming in from recruiters, and job boards will be filling up as organizations [look] to fill the pipeline for when it is time to start hiring,” he says.

Among the more promising hiring trends: improving prospects for science and tech workers, Michael says. “We’ll see better growth in technical fields related to computers and engineering,” he predicts.

He also predicts some job growth in food service and retail -- two sectors in which workers can’t be replaced by lower-cost overseas laborers or technology advances.

The best 2011 employment bets nationally will be anything involving aging, disease, economic recovery or education, says Kathryn Foster, PhD, director of the University at Buffalo’s Regional Institute. “If you’re able and interested in working with older people, there are going to be a lot of job openings,” she says. “The number of people choosing to go into gerontologic fields hasn’t kept up with demand.”

Poor Hiring Outlook for Some Sectors

However, the hiring outlook for some industries will continue to be bleak throughout 2011.

The construction industry has shed millions of employees -- from unskilled laborers to highly skilled architects and engineers. “We’ve bottomed out in housing,” Michael says. “We’ll see some job growth [there] in 2012 and 2013. But the pool of unemployed workers with construction skill sets is so large that even double-digit growth won’t be sufficient to mop up the pool of unemployed laborers.”

Foster advises staying away from traditional construction and manufacturing, as well as production jobs in utilities and transportation.

Salary Projections for 2011

Reports from a number of salary experts, including Aon Hewitt, indicate that while companies plan to increase their overall salary budgets by 2.8 percent in 2011, they won’t be spreading the wealth evenly.

“Most organizations still seem to be focused on ensuring that the increased dollars are spent wisely,” Szypko says. “Getting an increase is no longer an entitlement. Getting a bonus is no longer an entitlement. If you want a raise or a bonus you need to move into the upper echelon of performers within your organization.”

Unemployment Extension

If you’re currently unemployed, there is one ray of sunshine for you in 2011: Congress voted to extend unemployment benefits through the year.

Rate this article:

Average rating:

Email to a friend

Join the Discussion

Latest Jobs

Bookkeeper

Neptune and Company, Inc.

Posted: 5/23/2012

Lakewood, CO, 80...

Controls Engineer-Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Control Log

CyberCoders

Posted: 5/23/2012

Brooklyn Park, M...

Senior Java Developer - Senior Software Engineer - Java Engineer

CyberCoders

Posted: 5/23/2012

Concord, NH, 031...

Front End RTL Design Engineer

Embedded Resource Group

Posted: 5/23/2012

Mountain View, C...

HTML expert/Email Marketing Manger - Backend Email Marketing

CyberCoders

Posted: 5/23/2012

Washington, DC, ...

Want more personalized results? Update Your Profile

View All Latest Jobs

Browse Advice

Job Hunt Strategy

Resumes & Letters

Interviewing

Salary & Benefits

In the Workplace

Career Development

Featured Advice Resources:

Browse All Articles in this section

Rate this article:

Average rating:

Monster Advice Forums

Looking for Answers?

Get them on our boards:

Resume Tips
Job Search Advice

All boards

Join the Discussion

Monster Communities

Teaching Community: Where teachers meet and learn.
ArtBistro: Create and connect.
Excelle: Networking for the career-minded woman.
Nursing Link: Where nurses call the shots.
More Monster Communities

Monster Partners

Scholarships: Scholarships, financial aid and more ways to pay for school.
Education.org: Find top campus and online degree programs.
Military.com: Military portal for the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
Financial Aid: Scholarships & financial aid.
Staffing for Government Jobs: Staffing and hiring solutions for federal government agency jobs.
More Monster Partners

Job Hunt Strategy

Seven Job Search Mistakes New Grads Make

Even in an improving job market, there's little room for error when looking for your first job. Don't let one of these missteps cost you a career opportunity.

Resumes & Cover Letters

Cover Letter Checklist

Wondering whether your cover letter is the best it can be? It is if you can answer "yes" to the questions on this checklist.

Interviewing

Three Job-Interview Myths

In a job interview, things are not always what they seem -- or what you expect. Get the truth about three commonly held interview myths here.

Salary & Benefits

Jobs with High Lifetime Earnings

Want to earn the most money possible over the course of your working life with just a bachelor's degree? Consider one of these 10 lucrative jobs.

Attracting Candidates

Facebook for Employers: Make Friends, Not Fans

Recruiting? Go where the talent is. See why recruiters have befriended social networks.

Employee Sourcing

Employment Index

November Monster Employment Index Grows 13% Year-Over-Year, Tenth Consecutive Month of Positive Annual Growth.

Interviewing Candidates

Improving Interview Skills: Learn from the Experts

What’s the key to a great interview? According to experts: Practice, practice, practice.

Workforce Planning

Enhance your Small Business Marketing Strategy with Social Media

Social media. It’s everywhere. But how can it help you? Learn how to utilize social media even monetize it.

For Seekers

Campus and Online Degrees: Advance your career and earn more with an online degree.
Compare Your Salary: See how your pay stacks up to others in your field
Free Salary Wizard: What are you worth? Find out and negotiate a better salary.
Research Careers: Get information on jobs and career paths to help guide your choices
Questions & Answers: Find answers to all your career related questions -- powered by Yahoo! Answers
eLearning by Monster: Search our catalog of online courses and learn new skills.
Resume Distribution Service: Our distribution service puts your resume right in the hands of recruiters.
Resume Writing Services: Our experts will craft a keyword-rich resume that stands out in the crowd.
Other Services

For Employers

Career Ad Network: Target your job posting to more candidates on thousands of websites.
Hire Right Background Checks: Explore our background check packages to improve the quality of your hires.
Hiring Home Page: Find the best candidates for your business with Monster hiring solutions.
Job Postings: Find the right solution for your hiring needs. Starting at $99.
Power Resume Search: Monster's new search technology precisely matches people with your jobs.
Resource Center: Find staffing insights, labor trends, HR best practices and more.
Target Post: Connect with skilled, hourly and administrative candidates for only $99.

Social Media

Jobs on Twitter: Find jobs in your area and industry.
Monster Careers: Tune into our career advice and discussions tackling a wide range of topics and industries.
Monster Corporate & PR: Stay up-to-date on the latest news. Get the 'Who', 'What', 'When', and 'Why' on all things Monster related.
Monster Customer Service: Got a Monster question? We've got the answer. Whether you're a job seeker or employer, we can help you find the answers you need.
Monster for Employers: Find advice on hiring.
Follow Us: Check out our many pages and stay connected with the latest industry news, events, career advice and job openings.

Are You An Employer?

You may want to upgrade your browser.

Top Articles

Most Popular Jobs

Other Helpful Resources

Advice

Top Articles in Career Advice

Top Communities

Other Helpful Resources

2011 Employment and Salary Outlook

Email to a Friend

Related Articles:

Latest Jobs

Browse All Articles in this section

Browse All Articles in this section

Browse All Articles in this section

Browse All Articles in this section

Browse All Articles in this section

Browse All Articles in this section

Looking for Answers?

Popular Questions & Answers

Monster Communities

Monster Partners

Job Hunt Strategy

Resumes & Cover Letters

Interviewing

Salary & Benefits

Attracting Candidates

Employee Sourcing

Interviewing Candidates

Workforce Planning

For Seekers

For Employers

Social Media

Other Links

|Chat With An Employer

Want to Chat With an Employer?