The NDT industry entered 2006 on a definite upswing. How can I tell? A good measuring stick for any industry is hiring trends, and we keep a close watch on those here at PQNDT.

In 2005, we saw an impressive 60% jump over the prior year in the number of permanent placements made with employers who utilized our services. This included a significant increase in the number of senior level positions. While this may be due in part to retirements, such a large increase is also indicative of an industry that is ramping up for growth.

The demand for contract labor is also up because the need for qualified personnel is higher than present number of professionals available. Many clients need to support their quality inspections with contract solutions until such time that they can hire the right person. Because of this trend we saw a 25% growth in "temp to perm" hiring solutions where contracted hires were converted to permanent employees.

Where is the growth occurring? It seems that the tide is rising across the board in all industry segments, and from all parts of the country. In fact, many of our employer clients have NDT job openings at several locations in different parts of the United States. So the resurgence is not a local phenomenon.

All this points to a very strong year ahead for the NDT industry. Which means plenty of excellent options and opportunities for NDT professionals.

Michael Serabian
President
PQNDT, Inc.



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