CLEVELAND – In the midst of layoffs and a weak economy it is still a good time to be a marketing professional. According to the latest hiring survey conducted by Sales Consultants, a division of Management Recruiters International, sales and marketing professions will be in high demand over the next six months. Of nearly 200 executives surveyed, 54.1% indicated plans to increase their sales staffs during the first half of 2002, up by 12.9 points from the first half of the year. Another 41.2% plan to maintain their current staff sizes, down by 12.4 points, and only 4.7% plan decreases, down by .5 of a point. The upsurge in the hiring of these professionals is anticipated nationwide particularly in the fields of healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceuticals and financial services. The survey marks the 49th in an ongoing series of polls conducted by Sales Consultants in accordance with the professional and ethical standards of the American Marketing Association and the Marketing Research Association.