Employers plan to hire more than fire through year
Despite the elimination of more than a million jobs in the United States during the past year, there are signs of health in the labor market, according to Management Recruiters International Inc.
The search and recruitment firm polled 1,800 hiring executives and found that 38.4 percent planned to add staff during the first half of this year. Another 49.3 percent said they anticipated maintaining their current staff sizes.
Only 12.3 percent said they expected to reduce the number of workers they employ.
Allen Salikof, chief executive of Cleveland-based MRI, saw reasons for optimism in the numbers.
"Many companies are locked into headcount right now, and as soon as they begin to see positive signals coming from the economy there will be a flurry of hiring activity," he said.
Coffee: High-priced joe triggers upgrades from below
Although premium coffee purveyors like Starbucks have a great deal of appeal among consumers, plenty of people seem just as happy with lower-brow versions.
Only a third of 1,016 adults surveyed by Chicago-based Mintel Consumer Intelligence said they thought specialty coffee retailers served better java than fast-food restaurants, convenience stores and other outlets.
When they first appeared around the nation, the upscale shops distinguished themselves from other retailers by serving premium coffee at a premium price. Consumers quickly developed a taste for the fancier stuff but that forced competitors to offer better coffee and often at a lower price.
"This has undercut the advantage coffee shops once had," said Mintel, a consumer research firm.
Motley Fool: Name that company
My founder launched me as a baby furniture store in Washington, D.C., in 1948. He soon realized that his customers were also looking for toys. Today I rake in more than $11 billion per year. I operate more than 1,600 stores roughly 700 in the United States, 500 in more than 25 other countries, 180 special clothing stores, 160 baby-focused units and about 50 "Imaginarium" stores. In 2000, I announced a 10-year partnership with Amazon.com to create a co-branded online store. I've also signed branding and/or licensing agreements with the likes of Scholastic, Animal Planet, Home Depot and OshKosh B'Gosh. Who am I?
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