Seven in ten direct marketers are planning on adding staff during the third quarter, compared with 66% during the last quarter, according to an employment survey.

Furthermore, only 2% anticipate cutbacks, the lowest level since the survey began in 2001. At the beginning of 2005, 5% of all companies anticipated cuts, and during third quarter 2004, 8% foresaw staff cuts, said Jerry Bernhart, president of Bernhart Associates Executive Search LLC, Owatonna, MN. Bernhart Associates conducts the quarterly survey.

Ten percent report having hiring freezes, a level that has remained unchanged since the beginning of the year. Results are based on completed surveys from 114 executives.

Companies are hiring across a wide range of categories, including analytics, account management, copywriting and marketing. “Analytics has been consistently leading the way for the past year,” said Bernhart in a statement. “Tools and software are becoming increasingly sophisticated and it takes people with technical skills to use and implement them.”