Mr. Cronin, 29, is a senior analyst at Corporate Insight, a market research and consulting firm based in Manhattan.

The training at Insight will help them familiarize with IT-enabled services and applications that will enhance their career skills.

Nigel Gault, an economist at Global Insight of Lexington, Mass, is not so sure.

"Low long-term interest rates are putting a floor on the housing market," said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at Global Insight, a research firm.

Another high-growth area is energy, said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at Global Insight, a consulting firm.

Wal-Mart, the first big retailer to get a handle on its inventory, hired economists at Global Insight to estimate how much it had saved consumers.

"We're creating jobs," said Nigel Gault, chief domestic economist at Global Insight, an economic research firm.

Even those requiring only a basic accounting package would do well to take a thoughtful look at Insight.

The levels remain well below where they were during the recession, but the direction is encouraging, according to Christopher Swann, an economist at Global Insight.

"What this tells us in terms of the fundamentals is the road looks fine," said Brian Bethune, an economist at Global Insight, a research firm.