Leading online job board Careerbuilder.com mailed out their Q2 Employment Outlook this week, and although it’s about a month late (it’s mid-May, after all) there are some good nuggests of data that I’d like to share with you.

At at a high level, Careerbuilder’s survey reveals that US employers are “holding off on staff expansions in the second quarter of 2009.”  The report states, “Instead, [employers] are focusing efforts on keeping current headcount as they navigate a tough economy.”

In talking with business owners and managers in the past few weeks, I can absolutely corroborate that outlook.  Companies have cut staffing levels to the bone, and are at the point where further staff cuts would impact deliver of products and services.  There’s not much room left, in other words.  That’s good for the employment outlook for the remainder of the year.

Careerbuilder CEO Matt Ferguson states, “Employers want to hold on to their talent and are taking measures to contain costs and bring in new revenue streams, so they can maintain their staff levels.  Sixty four percent of employers expect there will be no change in the their number of full-time, permanent employees in the second quarter.”

Two things:  First, the companies with whom I work are implementing alternatives to layoffs, with the most common tactics employed being unpaid time off/mandatory furloughs and reduction in salary.  Second, while 64 percent of employers surveyed are maintaining staff levels, the further examination reveals that only 14 percent of employers are actually adding staff…which means that 22 percent of employers expect to cut staff. 

It’s amazing how quickly things can change, isn’t it?  24 months ago, implementing pay cuts were unheard of.  Nowadays, employees are relieved when, at the “all-company meeting,” they are only being asked to take a 5% pay cut.

The meat of the report identifies “six employment trends for employers and job seekers.”  They are:

1. Trimming Perks and Benefits - a whopping 42 percent of companies surveyed are taking interim measures like pay and benefit cuts to get though this mess.
2. Upgrading Talent Rosters - 23 percent of employers said that they are taking advantage of this opportunity to replace lower-performing employees with top talent that may not have been available in a healthier economy.  Exactly!
3. Postponing retirement - 60 percent of workers over 60 surveyed said they are putting off retirement.
4. Transferring skills - 71 percent of workers who have been laid off and haven’t found work said they are looking for jobs outside of their chosen profession either because they’re ready for a change or there are no available jobs.
5. Relocating - 39 percent of workers who were laid off and haven’t found work said they would consider relocating to another city or state for a job.
6. Going back to the classroom - 21 percent of all workers surveyed said they were going back to school for formal degrees.

Without a doubt, this prolonged recession will have long-lasting effects on the skilled labor pool.  Say on top of these trends and make the most of a crazy situation.