In yet another sign of a recovering job market, a new CareerBuilder survey released today shows that laid-off workers’ job searches are beginning to improve as well. According to the nationwide survey of 900 workers who were laid off in the past year, 51 percent of workers who were laid off in the last three months have found new full-time or part-time positions.

The percentage shows a marked increase from the 44 percent of workers who said the same in a November 2009 survey.

“As consumers and businesses grow more confident in the economic outlook in the U.S., hiring managers are beginning to add new staff at an improved, but cautious pace,” says Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America, in the press release.

Among the highlights of the survey:

• 40% of the newly employed workers surveyed reported they were able to negotiate comparable or higher pay for their new position, while 61% took a pay cut.
• 57% of workers laid off in the last six months have been re-hired by their former employer who laid them off from their jobs.
• 71% of workers who were laid off in the last six months and have not found jobs would be willing to work for their former employer, 22% of whom said they would only return if offered more money.
• 64% of workers who were laid off in the last six months and landed new jobs said they found work in a different field than where they were previously employed.
• 63% of workers who found new jobs in the last six months plan to stay with their current employers when the economy turns around
• 37% of workers who found new jobs in the last six months plan to look for new jobs as the economy improves.
• 46% of workers who were laid off in the last six months and found jobs relocated. Of those workers, 93% moved to another city versus another state.

What do these findings mean for you, the employer? A few thoughts…

• While many job seekers are willing to negotiate a lower salary, this may be temporary, as indicated by the nearly 4 in 10 workers who’ve indicated that they plan to look for new jobs as the economy improves, making it crucial that you start thinking about a talent compensation strategy to ensure you’re offering the salary that is not only fair to your organization, but also competitive enough to attract new employees and compel your current ones to stay.
• And while offering competitive compensation can go far in attracting and retaining talent, you also need to think about the intangible benefits employees crave, such as career growth opportunities and work/life balance.  Learn more about ways to retain your best talent.
• Perhaps you only want to consider local candidates, but if you’re having a tough time getting the right talent in your area, think about how 42 percent of workers report that they would consider relocating for a job opportunity, and consider expanding your geographic talent search.
• Finally, as the need for talent increases, don’t discount former employees as talent sources. (Even if your open positions differ from those the former employees occupied, consider the 64 percent of workers who made use of their transferrable skills by taking jobs in a different field).  After all, former employees are already familiar with the culture, have established relationships and may have an easier time making the transition to a new role in a familiar environment than someone completely new.

What are you taking away from these findings?