A new report from ExecuNet says executive recruiters and search firms predict that executive hiring should pick up in the second half of 2009, after a tough first six months.

Recruiters participating in the annual ExecuNet Job Market Intelligence Report predict a 14 percent decline in searches through June, after which a boomlet is expected that will erase most of the decline, ending 2009 down 4 percent over 2008.

The optimism is also reflected in the latest ExecuNet’s Recruiter Confidence Index. In decline since the beginning of 2007, the index rebounded from a low of 26 percent to 38 percent between February and March.

“We’ve been tracking their confidence level since the last recession, and their confidence has always been a leading indicator of the economy and executive employment,” ExecuNet President and Chief Economist Mark Anderson. “During the last recession, we saw recruiter confidence quickly strengthen six months ahead of the recovery.”

The report is the product of a survey of some 5,000 executives, search consultants, and corporate HR professionals. It’s an annual snapshot of the executive job market that spots trends and offers guidance for executives and recruiters.