With the nation's economy restrained by elevated uncertainty, America's recruiters and hiring managers still foresee a solid hiring picture for the first six months of the year ahead, according to a national survey conducted by Dice Holdings, Inc., a leading provider of specialized career websites for professional communities.

Nearly half (47%) of hiring managers and recruiters say they plan additional hiring during the first half of 2012, as compared to the second half of 2011.  This result is close to the mid-2011 forecast when 51 percent of hiring managers and recruiters noted they were stepping up hiring in the next six months. In fact, hiring managers and recruiters have been split on the pace of hiring for more than a year – with the respondent majority back and forth between slightly faster and slower hiring.

Asked how the current economy has impacted their hiring goals for the six months ahead, 43 percent of hiring professionals say their companies' and clients' plans remain unchanged. By contrast, 21 percent are increasing hiring indicating their view on the economy is more constructive.  Another 30 percent report having adjusted their hiring plans downward.

"With so much uncertainty in the air when it comes to the economy and job creation, it's a surprisingly positive sign that nearly half of respondents are optimistic about hiring at the start of 2012," said Scot Melland, Chairman, President and CEO of Dice Holdings, Inc. "Although modest in size, we've added private-sector jobs for 20 months now, and that modest job growth looks set to continue.  We need to focus on removing any hurdles that impede companies from investing in America's talent."

Nearly four in 10 companies (39%) report longer timelines for employee acquisition – based on a dearth of qualified candidates (60%) and an abundance of caution brought on by economic uncertainty (26%). This difficulty finding the right people to fill positions comes even as a clear majority of companies surveyed (55%) report getting more applications for open positions than compared to the previous six months.

Layoffs continue to look unlikely as 2012 begins. Compared to mid-2011, when 12 percent of respondents saw layoffs as at least likely, 15 percent cited that possibility for the first six months of 2012. It appears that caution is creeping into respondents' thoughts about voluntary departures.   While 48 percent predicted more employees would leave their companies in the latter half of 2011, only 40 percent predicted an increase in attrition in 2012.