Today’s disappointing jobless claims numbers don’t seem to be dampening the mood on Wall Street where finding a job isn’t as tough as it was in the last few years.

Financial service firms are bulking up – growing by nearly 7,000 employees in New York City alone from February to May, the largest three-month increase in nearly two years.  Global giants in the industry like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, along with smaller boutique firms, are spending their recent profits to bolster their once-shaved down staffs.

Wall Street tends to hire in anticipation of better times, leading many to believe our economy is on the mend. Matthew Rothenberg, from the online job search site Theladders.com, says vacancies in finance are the best he’s seen in years.  Right now, his site has over 50,000 available jobs offering 100k or more in salary.

Not everyone is convinced.  Many economists believe our economy is stagnant, and until we get overall unemployment under control, jobs will remain scarce.  They say Wall Street has a tendency to severely cut employment and right now firms are merely replenishing from the most recent brain drain.  With just these 7,000 jobs added, when tens of thousands were lost, it does not mean a recovery has arrived.

The increase in the financial industry’s demand is reigniting a war over talented individuals and both compensation and retention are making a comeback.  Star performers now have leverage against their potential employers for bonuses and pay packages.

However, salaries for job seekers remain lower than before the financial crisis.  Applicants can expect less cash up front in favor of larger bonuses down the road.

Fox News’ Christopher Laible contributed to this report.