Social media continues strong emergence.

• Position: Marketing

Top marketing officers at U.S. companies plan significant hiring increases over the next two years as they remain optimistic about prospects for their firms and the U.S. economy, a survey by the American Marketing Association, New York, has found.

Nearly half of companies say they expect to hire new marketers during the next six months, while 60% will do so in the next year and almost 90% over the next two years. Firms plan to increase hiring levels by eight percent in the next six months, 13% during the next year, and 24% over the next two years. Experienced marketers with skills related to Internet marketing, innovation and growth, and customer relationship and brand management will be the most sought after by survey respondents.

"Marketing hiring has been flat in recent years," declares Christine Moorman, director of the survey. "This is an especially welcome sign of a return to better days in the marketing community. Marketers are beginning to see the signs of a rebound within their own companies. It's no longer in the tea leaves; it's showing up at their own cash registers."

This optimism is reflected in respondents' expectations for customer behavior, with 66% of firms anticipating increased volume in customer purchases, and 26% expecting higher prices. Some 47% also expect an increase in the number of new customers in their markets, and 45% believe they have improved their abilities to retain current customers.

Overall...