Economic recovery is beginning to take hold in the US, according to ExecuNet’s latest Recruiter Confidence Index (RCI) data.

Based on January’s survey of 214 executive recruiters, 64% are ‘confident’ or ‘very confident’ the executive employment market will improve during the next six months, up 10 points from December 2009 and the highest confidence registered since May 2008.

Executive recruiters point to signs that more companies are focusing on growth in the next six months, reporting:

• Companies will be adding new executive jobs (21% up from 14% in December)

• 56% indicated they expect employers to leverage the current economic climate by ‘trading up’ with new hires for existing management roles

• Only 3% still see companies eliminating senior-management jobs

• Executive search firms themselves will increase hiring to meet new assignment growth — 33% report hiring in contrast to massive layoffs in January 2009

Mark Anderson, president and chief economist of ExecuNet, says: “The good news today is that the economic recovery is happening and companies are starting to add jobs.

“Despite this good news, the speed of the rebound seems slower than coming out of past recessions, so executives and recruiters should be prepared for a slow and steady rise in opportunity, not a rapid upswing.”

The RCI is based on a monthly survey of executive search firms conducted byExecuNet, a private network for business leaders. A reading above 50% indicates recruiters expect the number of search assignments in the next six months will increase.