After months in which part-time jobs and self employment represented the bulk of job creation, a new survey points to a welcome trend toward increased professional hiring in Canada.

“Definitely the trend has changed over the year. In the first quarter of the year, just 10 per cent of executives expected to hire and 7 per cent anticipated staff cuts. For the fourth quarter of this year, 17 per cent are planning active hiring and just 2 per cent plan reductions,” said Mike Gooley, regional vice-president of Robert Half Canada, which commissioned the survey of 1,000 executives in a range of industries.Over all, 87 per cent of the executives said they are confident that their companies will grow between now and the end of the year.