RJ and Makay

Confirmed job offers in the financial services sector were up double digits last month — 16% to be exact, shows new research from pre‐employment firm Powerchex. There were 82% more job offers in investment banking last month than in February, Powerchex also reports.

Stockbroker firms and investment management firms saw considerably increased recruitment levels, too, up 73% and 56% respectively. There were 23% more IT contractor placements in financial services than the previous month. However, recruitment at hedge funds and insurance firms was down 7% in March, according to Powerchex.

Good news from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL): In February, businesses posted the largest number of job openings in more than two years, suggesting hiring is on the rise.

According to the DOL, employers advertised 3.1 million jobs in February, the most since September 2008 (the height of the financial crisis). Competition for jobs remains intense, though it has eased a bit. There were 4.4 people, on average, competing for each available job in February, down from nearly 7 per job in July 2009. Two applicants per job is considered a sign of a healthy economy.

Chief executives' confidence in the economy is up again, shows the latest reading on the Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence. The measure rose to 67 in the first quarter, up from 62 in the fourth quarter of 2010. A reading above 50 indicates a positive outlook, the Conference Board says.

“CEOs’ confidence has improved, yet again, and expectations are that the economy will continue to expand in the coming months,” remarks Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. “As for the employment outlook, CEOs are more bullish than last year, with half now saying they intend to ramp up hiring.”