Marketing and advertising executives anticipate a significant uptick in hiring activity in the third quarter of 2011, according toThe Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals.Twenty-two percentof executives interviewed said they plan to add full-time staff in the next three months, and3 percentexpect reductions in personnel. The resulting net19 percentof executives anticipating hiring is up 10 points from thesecond-quarter forecast.

The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing interactive, design and marketing professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 500 telephone interviews -- approximately 375 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

Key Findings

• The net19 percentof executives planning to hire is up 10 points from last quarter.
• Eighty-seven percentof marketing and advertising executives are confident in their companies' growth prospects for the third quarter, a three-point increase from the second-quarter projection.
• Web design/production, brand/product management and print design/production are the specialties in greatest demand, according to survey respondents.
• Forty-two percentof executives said it's challenging to find skilled professionals today, up three points from the previous quarter.

"As the economy continues to improve, companies are expanding their service offerings and revitalizing their brand identities," saidDonna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group. "This is creating demand for professionals who can not only steer and manage overall brand strategy, but also bring ideas to life via online and traditional advertising."

Perspectives on Business Growth

Marketing and advertising executives' confidence in their ability to attract new business increased slightly from last quarter:Eighty-seven percentof those interviewed said they were somewhat or very confident in their firms' prospects for growth in the third quarter, up three points from the second-quarter survey.

Marketing and Advertising Specialties in Demand

When executives were asked in which areas they plan to add staff, web design/production ranked first, with16 percentof the response, followed by brand/product management and print design/production(tied at14 percent).Forty-two percentof executives surveyed said it's challenging for their firms to find skilled professionals, up three points from the previous quarter.

Marketing and advertising executives were asked, "In which of the following areas do you expect to hire in the third quarter of 2011?" Their responses: