- Elena Malykhina

Direct and digital marketers are expected to hire employees in Q4 of this year for the third consecutive quarter, according to a report released this week by Bernhart Associates.

The "Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Employment Report," which is based on the responses of 352 companies fielded from September 28 through October 12, found that 30% of direct and digital marketers plan to add to staff during the remainder of 2009. That number is up from 20% in the Q3 report (July through September 2009).

“Clearly, it remains a difficult job market in the digital and direct marketing industry, but the overall trend is definitely moving in an encouraging, positive direction,” said Jerry Bernhart, principal of Bernhart Associates executive search, in a statement.

The report found that most of the new hiring is expected to take place on the services side, with 41% of respondents saying they plan to add to staff in the last three months of 2009. Thirty nine percent of agencies said they plan to hire, followed by client-side companies with the fewest hires (18%).

The outlook, however, wasn't all positive. Companies reporting hiring freezes jumped to 45%, compared with 30% in Q3. And despite a rising surplus of job seekers, Bernhart Associates found that nearly 60% respondents said it was either “very difficult” or “somewhat difficult” to fill certain positions.

"Companies are looking for the perfect candidate, so what we’re seeing here is an apparent inability to recruit applicants who meet each and every one of the required criteria needed to trigger a hire," Bernhart said.

Bernhart added that given the severity of the recession, a recovery in digital and direct marketing jobs likely will be subdued going into 2010.