Florida execs expect growth

Nearly 100% of Florida executives say they are confident about their companies' prospects for business growth, according to a recent survey conducted by Robert Half International.

Of the respondents, 44% say they are very confident about future growth, while 50% say they are somewhat confident, according to the survey.

The results come from Robert Half International's Professional Employment Report, which interviews more than 4,000 C-level executives nationwide. Most of its reporting is on the national labor market, but a handful of Florida-specific factoids are available as well, such as:

• a net 10% of Florida executives plan to add staff in the third quarter (compared to the nationwide net rate of 3%);

• More than a third, 37%, of executives cite challenges in locating skilled professionals;

• hiring for an open staff-level position takes an average of four weeks; and

• hiring for an open management-level position takes an average of six weeks.

The state announced that unemployment in Florida fell to 10.8% in April, after Florida's economy added roughly 47,000 jobs over the preceding 12 months.

The entire survey conducted by Robert Half International is available online.