Are you a student who is looking for a job this summer? Despite the desperate state of the economy, you may be surprised to learn that many employers are still hiring help this summer. Of course, with so many people being out of work, the competition for these summer jobs will be far stiffer than it has been in the past. Nonetheless, most employers who hired summer help last year say they plan to bring on extra help this year as well.

According to the Annual Summer Job Forecast released by CareerBuilder, which was based on a survey conducted from February 20 through March 11 of this year and involved more than 2,500 employers, the outlook is quite promising for summer employment. In fact, the survey found that:

· 23% of respondents said they planned to hire summer workers this year (a figure that is similar to last year’s hiring)
· 56% said they would consider bringing their summer recruits on board in a permanent position
· 77% of respondents said they would pay the same this year as they paid last year, while 9% said they would offer more, 9% said they would offer less and 5% were unsure of how much they would pay
· 42% of respondents said they would pay $10 or more per hour, while 6% said they would pay $20 or more per hour, 30% said they would pay between $8 and $10 per hour and 10% said they would pay less than $7 per hour

Since the job market is saturated with more job candidates than in the past, it is even more important than usual for job seekers to find ways to differentiate themselves from the competition. Some of the biggest industries planning to bring on extra summer help this year include:

· Hospitality
· Retail
· Office Support
· Customer Service
· Research
· Landscape/Maintenance
· Restaurant/Food Services
· Sales
· Construction/Painting