A drop in ad spending does not mean companies aren't allocating dollars, it just means they're not spending marketing money on media buys, reports AdAge.

Companies are shifting more and more dollars to advertising initiatives not tied to one publication or another. Instead they're spending on marketing-services products such as direct marketing, customer-relationship-management programs or online ad buying. These services often aren't tracked by those who measure media budgets and are largely to blame for the fewer dollars publishers are seeing.

Agencies that offer these services are seeing income from those products jump, positively impacting the number of available positions at agencies. Employment levels at agencies are up to the highest point since the recession of 2001, while media companies continue to layoff workers in a quest for reduced costs and increased efficiency.

Companies are also enjoying the increased metrics available through direct marketing efforts as they strive to make every dollar work for them and be accountable to larger business concerns.