With improving corporate profits underscoring signs of increased economic growth, recruiters are forecasting an increase in hiring activity at the executive-level, according to the latest ExecuNet Recruiter Confidence Index (RCI) data.

According to October's survey of 172 executive recruiters, 56 percent are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve during the next six months — which is essentially unchanged from last month.

Those who are not confident that executive employment market conditions will improve during this period of time dropped from 8 percent in September to 6 percent in October, which marks the lowest "not confident" reading since May 2008.

"Recent hiring activity indicates the recovery will be based on business re-investment and global economic growth," says Mark Anderson, president and chief economist of ExecuNet. "While we expect the executive employment market to rebound at a slower rate when compared to the recovery that occurred after the last recession in 2001, fewer companies are planning to trim leadership staffs in 2010 and many are using the opportunity to get executive talent on board that will help them come out of this downturn profitably."

Recruiters' short-term confidence remained stable, as 24 percent of responding recruiters are confident or very confident the executive employment market will improve during the next three months — down slightly from a 12-month high of 27 percent in September.

Introduced in May 2003, the Recruiter Confidence Index is based on a monthly survey of executive search firms conducted by ExecuNet, a private network for business leaders. A leading indicator for the economy and the executive job market, a reading above 50 percent indicates recruiters expect the number of search assignments in the next six months will increase.

www.execunet.com