As 2024 comes to a close, there’s a bright spot when it comes to hiring.

66% of employers plan to hire contract workers through December to cover holiday absences and support seasonal projects, according to a survey by staffing firm Robert Half. The firm’s Shannon Edlinger has a forecast for long-term hiring.

“The job market right now is looking like a long-term growth period,” Edlinger said. “So we don’t have a crystal ball, but what Robert Half has forecasted, our companies are proceeding with caution in 2024, which we saw, but we still have job openings that are remaining elevated.”

Edlinger says the last jobs report showed 7.4 million job openings with accounting, IT, and marketing in demand.