London, January 4, 2007 -- CareerBuilder.co.uk, a leading online job site in the United Kingdom, released the results of its first survey, conducted by Harris Interactive^®, tracking projected hiring and job search activities for the upcoming year and quarter. The survey, titled "2007 UK Job Forecast," was conducted from November 17 and December 11, 2006 within the UK among 421 workers and 224 hiring managers.

"Economic growth in the UK is expected to remain stable in 2007 as growth in the rest of Europe slows. In this environment, the UK can expect stable labour trends, according to UBS," said Dave Smith, Managing Director of CareerBuilder.co.uk. "Forty-two percent of UK employers surveyed reported adding new workers to their staffs in the last three months. This momentum is expected to carry into the New Year with 45 percent of hiring managers planning to recruit new employees. Thirty-one percent anticipate no change in their headcount while 12 percent expect decreases."

Amount of Employees Being Recruited
Twenty percent of UK employers say they will recruit in bulk, expecting to add more than 100 new employees to their staffs in 2007. Forty percent say they will recruit up to 50 new workers. Slightly more than one-in-ten plan to add 51 to 100.

Most Popular Positions
The types of positions employers will be recruiting for the most in the UK include sales, information technology, accounting/finance, customer service and healthcare. In terms of job level, 47 percent of UK employers say they will be targeting professional/technical staff, 23 percent will be targeting administrative/clerical workers, and 7 percent will be targeting upper management.

SEVEN MAJOR HIRING TRENDS FOR 2007

More than one-third of UK employers say they have job openings for which they cannot find qualified candidates. As the UK labour market continues to tighten, employers will become more aggressive in their efforts to recruit and retain their top talent.

1. Bigger Paycheques
Eighty-two percent of UK employers surveyed report their companies will increase salaries for existing employees. More than half -- 54 percent -- say they will raise compensation levels by up to 3 percent while 28 percent plan to raise compensation levels by 4 percent or more. More than half of employers expect to increase salaries on initial offers to new employees.

2. Rehiring Retirees
Three-in-ten UK employers plan to rehire retirees from other companies or provide incentives for workers approaching retirement age to stay with the company longer.

3. Diversity Recruitment
When asked what segment of diverse workers they plan to most heavily recruit in 2007, UK employers say they plan to target more women and disabled workers.

4. Flexible Work Arrangements
Nearly one-in-four UK employers say they are very or extremely willing to provide more flexible work arrangements for employees such as job sharing and alternate schedules.

5. Career Advancement
One-in-four UK workers report they feel they were overlooked for a promotion in 2006. With the perceived lack of upper mobility within an organization being a major driver for employee turnover, 45 percent of UK employers plan to provide more promotions and career advancement opportunities to their existing staff in the New Year.

6. Training
In light of the shortage of skilled workers within their own industries, the vast majority of UK employers -- 87 percent -- report they are willing to recruit workers who don’t have experience in their particular industry or field, but have transferable skills.

7. Global Expansion
UK companies will continue to drive growth by entering or strengthening their presence in global markets. Nearly one-in-four UK employers report they will expand operations and hire employees in other countries in 2007. Eighteen percent say they are considering it.

HIRING AND COMPENSATION IN Q1

Hiring
Over the next three months, 40 percent of UK employers say they plan to increase headcount. Ten percent say they will decrease headcount, while 42 percent anticipate no change and 8 percent remain unsure.

Compensation
More than half of UK employers say salaries have increased over last three months while 35 percent say they plan to increase salaries over the next three months.

JOB CHANGES

Fifty-seven percent of UK workers say they are satisfied with their jobs; slightly more than one-in-four are dissatisfied.

However, as the labor pool shrinks and companies more aggressively recruit new additions to their teams, workers are looking for bigger, better deals in the New Year. Twenty-nine percent of UK workers plan to leave their jobs within one year. Four-in-ten say they will do so within the next two years.

Looking at key job factors that will influence continued job satisfaction and company loyalty, respondents reported the following: