As the economy continues its slow recovery, the biggest areas of job growth will be in the South and in the retail sector, the head of Careerbuilder told CNBC.
The pace of job losses is slowing, said Careerbuilder CEO Matt Ferguson, adding that other sectors that will see the most growth are health care, insurance, and for-profit education companies.
"The job losses are moderating and we're getting to a more stable environment," Ferguson said in an interview. Employers are "feeling more optimistic about the future in the job market."
In addition to the South, the West and Northeast also will start to see some growth. Overall, 72 percent of employers that Careerbuilder surveyed said they are preparing for an economic turnaround.
But Ferguson said lawmakers need to turn their attention to strengthening small business, which is what he said will drive the rebirth in the job market.
"If we're going to get big job creation back in the United States, we've got to fire up the engine of small businesses and entrepreneurs, because that's where most of the job creation will come," he said.
Retraining displaced workers is considered critical for the recovery.
"I do think the educational opportunities that are out there — the community colleges, companies that can step in and do re-skilling — those are the big opportunities for growth," Ferguson said.
What CEO's Have to Say
Several chief executives appearing on CNBC Wednesday said their companies are hiring:
"We’re still growing. We’ve had a very strong first quarter. We are up about 5.7% in customer accounts. We do well in a tough housing market and economy but we do better when the market is stronger."
- Robert Allen, Broadview Security CEO
"We’re hiring. We are gearing up for the back to school season. We are very proud too that we haven’t laid anyone off during this recession. The recession hasn’t helped us any. Our sales are down about 10% but weve been able to adjust expenses through other means other than laying people off. And now that we are headed into the back to school season we are hiring in all locations, distribution centers and in the home office."
- Kip Tindall, The Container Store CEO
Jobs Created: 235
"We’re still hiring. We’ll hire about 3,000 salaried team members. We are hiring but it is reduced. In fact our hiring this year will be down in the range of 30-40%. But that is in the context compared to phenomenal growth we have experienced in the last couple of years."
- Tim Curoe, Target VP of talent acquisition
Jobs Created: 3000 full-time salaried/9000 varied positions within the organization.
"There is no question that in today’s difficult economic environment American families are looking for convenient, affordable and high quality meals. That’s where our brands fit quite well. We’ve got a great portfolio with brands like DiGiorno, California Pizza Kitchen, Tombstone and Jacks. Given our focus on quality over the last couple of years as well as innovation, consumers are increasingly turning to those brands as great meals."
- Tom Cofer, Kraft Pizza Company president
Jobs Created: 300 in Wisconsin