According to a study by job portal CareerBuilder, nearly three-in-10 employers surveyed are planning to hire employees in the April-June quarter of 2011.

"Job listings are up across all categories, from healthcare and technology to manufacturing... As the nation moves toward greater financial stability, more employers are investing in talent for the long-term," CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson said.

The survey states that six per cent of the respondents expect to downsize staff while 63 per cent are anticipating no change in the status.

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Further, 28 per cent employers have hired employees in the first quarter of 2011, the highest since the first quarter of 2008.

"While employers are keeping a close eye on world events, their confidence levels with regard to recruitment have remained intact," he said.

Notably, hiring among small businesses, the major driver behind new job creation in the US, is showing signs of improvement.

About 23 per cent companies with 500 or less employees surveyed plan to recruit employees in the second quarter, up from 19 per cent last quarter.

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Hiring in larger organisations is also trending positive as 36 per cent of the companies with more than 500 employees plan to add staff in the second quarter, up from 30 per cent from previous quarter.

Interestingly, the survey indicates fewer employers are planning to reduce staff levels.

About five per cent companies with 500 or less employees plan to decrease staff, down from seven per cent last quarter.

On the other hand, seven per cent of those with more than 500 employees plan to downsize, an improvement from nine per cent last quarter.

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Besides, more job openings translates into more competition for highly skilled workers. Employers (33 per cent) are concerned that top performers will look for job opportunities outside of their organisation as the economy improves.

Similarly, 31 per cent of employees said they are likely to start looking for another job as the economy improves.

The survey was conducted within the US by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,878 hiring managers and 5,671 employees between February and March.