Direct Marketing Employment News

Just yesterday, Bernhart Associates published their quarterly survey results that gauge the state of the direct marketing industry, in terms of hiring and employment trends.

No surprise--the news isn't great. From the press release:

The direct marketing employment outlook has taken a turn for the worse with employers planning more cutbacks in hiring this summer, according to the latest Bernhart Associates employment survey.

According to the survey, 47% of the companies responding said they plan to add to staff during the current third quarter, a decline of 7% from last quarter and the first reading below 50% since 2002.

But, for those analytically-inclined specialists, and those in sales or e-commerce, there is some good news:

"We always ask companies to list the positions they expect to fill during the coming three months," said Bernhart (Jerry Bernhart, President). "This time around the list was top-heavy with analytics, with both sales and e-commerce related openings a close second."

I'd love to hear if these survey results mirror what you're seeing out there.