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Summer hiring holds steady, experts say

By Richard Benson, CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • One-in-five employers report plans to hire seasonal workers this summer
  • More than half say they will be considering some summer hires for permanent jobs
  • About 2,800 hiring managers participate in the nationwide study

(CNN) -- The competition for summer jobs is expected to remain tough this year as more workers use seasonal work to get their foot in the door for long-term employment.

Summer hiring is going to be holding steady this year, according to CareerBuilder's annual Summer Job Forecast.

One-in-five employers (21 %) reported they plan to hire seasonal workers this summer, which is on par with last year.

More than half (57 %) of these employers said they will be considering some summer hires for permanent positions.

"Summer positions can be a great way to network and test drive different career paths," CareerBuilder spokeswoman Jennifer Grasz told CNNRadio,

In the survey, more than half (58 %) of employers reported they will pay $10 or more for their summer positions.

Thirty-one percent will pay between $8 to $10; 8 % will pay $20 or more.

Grasz said there is a common misconception when it comes to what people view as summer employment.

"Retail and hospitality tend to make up the lion's share of summer jobs and certainly that's what comes to mind first when you think about summer positions," she said. "But you can also find employment areas like officer support, customer service, information technology, and sales and telemarketing."

Even though it's May, there is still time to get hired.

While 35 % of employers reported they normally finish their summer hiring by April, 45 % complete it in May and 20 % will hire in June and beyond.

More than 2,800 hiring managers participated in the nationwide study conducted between February and March this year.