Executive job index edges up in March

ExecuNet, a career management and recruiting resource centre for executives and recruiters, has released its Executive Job Index (EJI) data through March 29, 2003. Calculated biweekly since 1997, the EJI measures hiring trends in the executive employment market. The Index now stands at 200 (1997=100), up from 178.3 at the end of February. After reaching a 52-week low during the week of December 29, 2002, the EJI has improved for three straight months.

The number of executive job openings continued to increase in March, says Mark Anderson, President of ExecuNet. However, upon the realization that the war would not be short and smooth, executive demand levelled in recent weeks as companies started to become more reluctant to add to their payrolls amid economic uncertainty.
In March, there was above average growth in demand for MIS/IT, General Management, Consulting, and Sales/Marketing executives. Demand for Operations Management/Engineering, Finance, and Human Resources executives was below average during the month.

In the past 30 days, growth in the executive job market has been fuelled by companies looking to fill turnover, says Anderson. Since the start of the war, very few companies have shown a commitment to creating new executive-level positions.

Complete Executive Job Index (EJI) findings can be found at http://www.execunet.com/e_trends_eji.cfm?EJIID=all