Less than 10% of executive search firms plan to add professional staff in the next three months, according to ExecuNet’s March Search Firm Hiring Index.

This is despite a rise in both short- and long-term confidence in the executive employment market.

Recruiters’ short-term confidence edged slightly higher in March.According to ExecuNet’s March Recruiter Confidence Index (RCI) survey of 150 executive recruiters, 15% report being confident or very confident the executive employment market will improve during the next three months — up from 12% in February.

And 38% are confident or very confident the executive employment market will improve in the next six months — up from 28% in February.

However, only 6.7% of responding search firms indicated they plan to add professional staff in the next three months.

“While the broad unemployment rate in the US is expected to climb higher in the months ahead, recruiters haven’t given up hope that we’ll see an increase in executive-level job growth before the end of the year,” says Mark Anderson, president of ExecuNet.

“Based on conversations search firms are having with clients, the healthcare, clean tech and energy industries will help lead the employment market out of this recession.”