Forget Wall Street, Small Businesses are Still Hiring

Despite massive layoffs continuing to come from corporate giants, small businesses in the U.S. are recruiting new talent. Companies with fewer than 50 employees accounted for more than 50 percent of hiring in the second quarter of this year, according to a recent Beyond.com career trend analysis.

So where are these jobs? The top online job postings for small businesses in Q2 were in the fields of information technology (11.8 percent), healthcare and medical (9.5 percent) and human resources (6.7 percent).

Interestingly, nearly 75 percent of all job postings in Q2 were for candidates with zero to three years of experience. Registered nurses, software developers and sales managers with less than three years experience were the most sought-after by small companies. This should be welcomed news to recent college grads who've been struggling to beat out more experienced professionals for entry-level jobs during the recession.

Traditionally, job seekers start their search by identifying and targeting large employers in their area, according to the career report. But with more than half of job postings coming from small business in Q2, the small business sector may offer better employment opportunities.

"While many monster-sized companies in corporate America are on the sidelines as far as hiring is concerned, small businesses are showing positive signs of growth and the ability to react quickly to market trends," says Rich Milgram, CEO of Beyond.com, Inc. "It is a terrific sign that the small and entrepreneurial businesses across the country are minimizing layoffs and beginning to hire again."

To view the complete Beyond.com Career Trend Analysis Report and Industry Outlook Reports, click here.