Growth area in job market: bankruptcy lawyers

NEW YORK (Reuters) - America needs more bankruptcy lawyers.

Amid a sluggish economic recovery, a wobbly real estate market and high unemployment, prospects for professional-level jobs are gradually improving, a survey says, but in one area things are positively booming.

The U.S. legal field shows the strongest outlook for professional-level hiring in the fourth quarter amid an ongoing need for litigators, and bankruptcy and foreclosure experts, according to a quarterly poll by specialized staffing firm Robert Half International Inc (RHI.N).

About 29 percent of lawyers anticipate adding staff in the fourth quarter, versus only 6 percent who expect declines, according to the survey, which is based on phone interviews with 4,000 executives, including about 200 lawyers.

"There's no question that 2010 has been and continues to be the year for litigation, bankruptcy and foreclosure firms," said Brett Good, a Robert Half International senior district president, in a statement.

Law firms also need legal secretaries, paralegals and clerks, in addition to bankruptcy lawyers, to guide clients through complex foreclosures in both commercial real estate and in residential housing.

"We don't see any signs indicating a slowdown in these areas for the foreseeable future, as case backlogs, the housing market and overall unemployment rates continue to be concerns."

Overall, professional hiring intentions have improved from three months ago, Robert Half said, with 11 percent of executives planning to add full-time staff and 5 percent planning cuts. That difference of 6 points marks a three-point improvement from the third-quarter hiring forecast.

The number of executives expressing at least some optimism about business prospects rose slightly, to 86 percent, from 85 percent, according to Robert Half.

The survey's other findings include:

* More respondents in fields like accounting, finance and technology say it is challenging to find skilled professionals. A majority of chief information officers say so.

* The accounting and finance field is expected to boost hiring in the fourth quarter, the first net increase in this field in nearly two years.

* Computer network administrators are in top demand, especially ones versed in cloud computing and voice-over-internet technology.

* Top positions in advertising and marketing include experts on using search engines to boost a company's visibility, and specialists in social media.

(Reporting by Nick Zieminski, editing by Dave Zimmerman)