U.S. workers are reaping the benefits as employers deal with a highly competitive hiring environment. According to CareerBuilder's mid-year job forecast, 63% of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent workers in the second half of this year. That's up from 60% last year. The study also found that employers expect to provide greater financial incentives to new workers and existing staff. In fact, 45% of employers plan to increase starting salaries for new job offers with 23% increasing starting salaries by 5% or more. The great news extends to those already on the job also; 58% of employers will increase compensation for current employees before year's end with 24% planning an increase of 5% or more on average. CareerBuilder adds that the hot areas for hiring include customer service jobs, sales, information technology, product development and business development.