CareerBuilder.com, a Chicago-based online employment website, revealed in a recent survey that more US companies are planning to hire full-time employees in 2011 compared with 2010. CareerBuilder.com conducted a survey of over 2,400 hiring managers in different companies in Nov. and Dec. of 2010. Among the respondents, the survey found that about 24% of employers will hire full-time staff in 2011. This figure is an improvement from this year’s 20% and 14% in 2009. However, the survey said that job creation in 2011 will be gradual and steady, much like job creation this year.

Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder, said that the US economy is slowly recovering so more employers are gaining the confidence to hire more staff. “More than half of employers reported they are in a better financial position today than they were one year ago. 2011 will usher in a healthier employment picture as business leaders grow more confident in the economy. Our survey indicates more jobs will be added in 2011 than 2010, but job creation will remain gradual.”

The survey also revealed that more companies are planning to convert temporary jobs to full-time positions, a good sign that the economy is picking up. “About 39 percent of employers said they plan to transition temporary staff into permanent workers next year.”