Thirteen percent of employees who had previously been laid off were rehired by their former employers in 2005, according to a survey by Right Management, a consulting firm.

The firm conducted the survey among more than 14,000 displaced employees from more than 4,900 organizations throughout North America who found new jobs last year with the assistance of Right Management.

"This marks a significant shift in employer attitudes toward rehiring laid-off workers," says Eileen Javers of Right Management. "Due to the shortage of talent, especially at the managerial and executive levels, employers are more willing to rehire displaced employees because of their familiarity with the job and the organization.

In 2005, the firm conducted a survey that found that 54 percent of employers are at least occasionally rehiring former employees who were displaced by earlier downsizings. Only 9 percent regularly do it, and just 3 percent often do it, according to the survey.