The 2015 BlueSteps Job Outlook Report just released by Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants, shows that 72.4 percent of management-level professionals worldwide feel more optimistic about their career opportunities for 2015, an increase of 21.4 percentage points compared to the previous year. 88.2 percent of management-level professionals responded that they are open to new opportunities in 2015.

The AESC’s BlueSteps survey of 659 management professionals, director-level through C-suite, was conducted from January 2015 to February 2015 and included responses from management-level professionals in the industrial, technology, healthcare, professional services and other sectors worldwide. 50 percent of responses came from the Americas, 35 percent from EMEA and 15 percent from Asia Pacific. Additional findings from the report include:

• The management-level job outlook is most positive in the USA (84.3% positive), followed by Asia Pacific and Europe (67.5% and 68.2% positive respectively).

• Management-level professionals rank technology, healthcare/life sciences and financial services as the three sectors that will experience growth in 2015.

• 44.1 percent of management-level professionals expect the average timeline for finding a new job opportunity in 2015 to be 6-12 months.

Glenda K. Brown, Managing Director, AESC & BlueSteps, commented, “This year represents the highest point we’ve seen since the Global Financial Crisis. After major cutbacks, hiring is now in full swing at the management level. AESC member executive search firms have seen the number of searches reach an all-time high, showing that companies know that enhancing their senior talent teams is vital for success. We expect 2015 to be a landmark year for both the search industry and the global job market.”

Sally Stetson, from AESC member firm Salveson Stetson Group, commented, “There should be a higher number of executive openings in 2015 and as a result, there will be more options for executives in the marketplace. With that said, it doesn’t mean that it is easier to find that “right” position. There is a high level of competition for these roles.”

Download a full copy of the 2015 BlueSteps Executive Job Outlook Report .