Author: apatel

We recently discussed the ongoing fiscal crisis in the eurozone. As events have dragged on, there has been an increasing amount of speculation regarding the prospect that Greece – the most troubled nation in the currency union – will abandon the euro.

At the recent annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Tokyo, Swedish finance minister Anders Borg said he believes it is “most probable” that Greece will leave the eurozone and observers shouldn’t rule out the idea that it will happen within the next six months.

However, few people have come forward with a practical plan for separating Greece, or any nation, from the eurozone. When negotiating the underlying treaties, the euro’s founders did not establish a process for countries to depart the currency union.

The Boston Globe recently looked at a hypothetical plan put forward by Roger Bootle, head of research firm Capital Economics. Bootle’s proposal has one goal – creating an independent Greek financial system without causing, or allowing, significant capital flight prior to the conversion.

Bootle concedes that his plan would be particularly painful for poorer Greeks, but he says he believes that not taking action would only prolong the period of difficulty and lead to greater hardship.

Barry Eichengreen, a Berkeley economist, told The Globe that he was highly skeptical a plan along the lines of Bootle’s would be effective in abating the current crisis. He concedes that the plan is “beautifully crafted,” but asserts that even careful craftsmanship doesn’t necessarily mean the plan is realistic.

However, Bootle points out that, just because his plan leaves a number of messy, unresolved questions, that doesn’t mean there are any alternatives that would offer a problem-free resolution.

Whatever action is undertaken by European governments, it is clear that companies with interests in the continent will have to keep a close eye on new developments and react accordingly. Financial project consulting services can provide a critical aid in this process.

On October 25, CareerBuilder released its annual assessment of retailers’ hiring plans for the upcoming holiday season. Traditionally, this time of year brings a significant, but short-term, bump in employment as stores expand their staffs to handle extra traffic.

This year, the number of positions being added by employers is up considerably from last year’s figures, according to CareerBuilder’s report.

Harris Interactive surveyed more than 2,400 employers regarding their hiring plans to get the data. Thirty-six percent of respondents indicated that they plan to expand their workforce for the holiday season. This represents a 29 percent increase over 2011.

In addition, 39 percent of those conducting extra seasonal hiring intend to transition some of the new workers into permanent roles.

CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson linked the strong seasonal hiring plans with rising confidence and asserted that the season should see an overall surge in economic activity.

“An increase in consumer confidence is helping to fuel the best seasonal hiring the U.S. has seen in recent years,” said Ferguson. “While the bulk of seasonal recruitment falls within the retail space, companies across industries are hiring for a wide range of positions to support their business operations as they wrap up the year.”

Even a strong holiday season won’t eradicate economic uncertainty

We’ve recently discussed a number of other indications that the economy is strengthening. However, we have also discussed ongoing challenges confronting sustained global growth, including the fragile situation in the eurozone and the looming package of spending cuts and tax increases referred to as the “fiscal cliff” in the United States.

In this time of uncertainty, it is more crucial than ever that companies have sound fiscal expertise on their leadership teams. Filling CFO jobs and other high-level positions is always a delicate process, but in this tumultuous economic climate, it is clear companies do not have time to pour into a protracted financial professional search.

Recruitment firms can help businesses conduct a fast, effective search.

We recently discussed a number of reports that show a strengthening U.S. economy. Both the ADP National Employment Report and the Employment Situation Summary put out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that there was a net increase in jobs last month.

In addition, the job creation figures for the previous two months were revised upwards to reflect uncounted employment. Despite these gains, some observers may have been put off by the fact that the national unemployment rate increased slightly in October.

However, there is evidence that the main reason for this shift is that more Americans are looking for jobs. The Boston Globe reports that nearly 1 million workers have reentered the labor market since September.

This is a positive sign. The Globe spoke to Kenneth Rogoff – an economics professor at Harvard University – for further analysis. He explained that these developments fit into the pattern of a “normal recovery.”

“That’s part of the process,” said Rogoff. “People start to smell jobs and come into the workforce.”

Recruitment firms help companies identify and evaluate leading candidates

Business leaders’ spirits may be buoyed by the range of signs that are pointing to a strengthening economic recovery. However, high-caliber talent continues to be hard to come by. There will always be a need for companies to put an emphasis on quality when conducting an executive or financial professional search.

Leaving CFO jobs or other important positions vacant for long periods during a protracted search can prove disruptive for a company. Working with professional recruiters can help businesses quickly connect with leading talent, evaluate individual candidates and recruit the right professionals for their open positions.