Releasing the results of their 2012 Mid-Year Executive Outlook Survey, BlueSteps, the executive career management service of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), announced today that only 26% of global executives hold a positive attitude about the job market after the first six months of 2012, a 10% drop from January of this year, and a sobering 38% drop compared to July 2011.

The slow recovery of the global economy, turbulence in the Eurozone, and fear of career stagnation were attributed for the lack of optimism. Furthermore, only 35% of survey respondents share a positive impression of the general business climate at mid-year, a 41% decline from this time last year.
 
Peter Felix, AESC President commented: “The results of our mid-year survey provide testimony to the very uncertain times within which we live. The morale and outlook of senior executives is key to economic health, but it is clear from the survey that many are in a holding back or wait-and-see mode, not only for their businesses but for their careers as well. Uncertainty is the enemy of economic progress, and yet, ironically there is still strong evidence of a shortage of executive talent around the world. As certainty in world markets returns, I am optimistic that we shall see a significant increase in executive confidence and thus mobility.”
 
Executives in some regions remain more positive however. Executives in Canada held the most positive outlook compared to any other region, with 44% of executives reporting a positive attitude about the job market at mid-year, compared to only 26% of executives in the U.S. who shared a positive outlook. Executives in India also reported a more positive impression, with 42% of executives there reporting they feel positive about the executive job market, 16% higher than the global average.
 
The top career-related concerns reported by senior executives at mid-year include finding a new executive opportunity (45%), economic instability (18%) and fear of career stagnation (10%). Senior executives reported top business-related concerns which included maintaining revenue/profits (27%), the poor overall economic climate (25%) and one out of five senior executives surveyed (20%), specifically mentioned the turbulence in the Eurozone as a top business-related concern at mid-year.
 
Despite the difficult outlook projected by global senior executives, 57% still report that they are more willing to make a career move in the next six months compared to earlier this year.