(PRWEB) November 20, 2008 -- Almost 75% of firms are currently engaged in a hiring freeze or firing executives due to the "credit crisis" according to the recent Claymore Partners' 2009 Talent Market survey of over 200 executives primarily in the financial services and consulting arenas. More than 30% of executives indicated that their employer is currently in an executive hiring freeze while another 45% are anticipating further reduced executive staff levels during 2009. Executive staff reductions are expected to be greater than 10% for more than half of those firms in 2009.

Expected executive staff reductions for 2009 were projected to be largest in the investment banking and retail banking segments, while executive hiring is expected to be relatively strong for consulting as well as health care and insurance firms. The marketing and finance functions are expected to have the largest executive staff reductions during 2009 while the sales and risk management functions are projected to have the strongest executive hiring. "These results are consistent with our clients' slow down in their executive searches and we are seeing an increased flow of executive resumes in these areas," according to Mr. Landberg, Managing Director of Claymore Partners.

Claymore Partners is an executive search and consulting firm specializing in the financial services and consulting arenas. They also provide fee based Career Consulting services for top candidates. If you would like further information on the findings from this survey, please contact Steven Landberg at slandberg@ClaymorePartners.com.

Contact:

Steven Landberg
Managing Director
Claymore Partners LLC
Greenwich CT
203 987 4641
slandberg@ClaymorePartners.com
www.ClaymorePartners.com