The number of employers in the US planning to recruit new workers rose in July 2011 from April, new data show.

According to the figures from the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), the proportion of firms in the country reporting rising employment levels climbed from 40 per cent to 42 per cent over the quarter.

Despite the pace of business recovery appearing to slow during the period in question, the body notes recruitment picked up in the July 2011 Industry Survey.

Consumer Electronics Association chief economist Shawn DuBravac commented: "The economic picture continues to be clouded by global uncertainties, including the disasters in Japan. There are, however, some silver linings within the current consensus."

Although incidents such as the political unrest in the Middle East pushed up input costs, 56 per cent of respondents reported growth in sales, with the financial services, ICT and transportation sectors performing strongly.

Optimism about future economic growth dipped slightly over the three month period and profitability fell back, but hiring rose for the sixth month in a row.

In related news, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported there was a 1.8 per cent year-on-year increase in median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary earners in the US during the second quarter of 2011 to $753.

Posted by Fiona Summers