MUMBAI: There is some positive news for those looking for a job in the advertising and marketing fields in America. A new survey suggests that the hiring environment for ad and marketing professionals in the US is gaining momentum.

About 57 per cent of advertising and marketing executives said their firms plan to add personnel in the next year.

While 88 per cent of the respondents expect their companies' business to increase during the same time frame, 24 per cent of these expect a significant increase.

The survey was developed by The Creative Group, a specialised staffing service. It provides marketing, advertising, creative and web professionals on a project basis. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes 250 responses from the top marketing and ad executives in the US.

The Creative Group executive director Tracey Turner was quoted in a company release saying, "Firms are anxious to promote their goods and services in anticipation of business expansion. Hiring managers know that there is an excellent pool of talent available right now and will try to bring highly qualified professionals on board before the market becomes too competitive."

"Many regions of the country are showing signs of sustained economic growth, which is reflected in the number of firms that expect improved business performance. These companies may have an opportunity to revisit budgets and invest in programmes that build market share and brand awareness."

About 36 per cent of the advertising and marketing executives polled said that they would first hire in the area of account management. While 13 per cent of executives said that creative professionals, such as graphic designers, computer artists and art directors, would be among the most in-demand employees.