Employers in Wisconsin expect to hire at a bullish pace during the third quarter, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
From July to September, 29 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 4 percent expect to reduce their payrolls. Another 65 percent expect to maintain their current workforce levels and 2 percent are not certain of their hiring plans. This yields a Net Employment Outlook of +25 percent.
“Intent to hire is similar to Quarter 2 when the Net Employment Outlook was +26 percent,” said Manpower spokesman Todd Filter. “Those looking for jobs can expect a slightly more positive job market compared to one year ago when the Net Employment Outlook was +23 percent.”
For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in Construction, Durable Goods Manufacturing, Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Professional & Business Services, Education & Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality, Other Services and Government. Hiring in Information and Financial Activities is expected to remain unchanged.
In the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis metro market, employers are particularly bullish. Among metro Milwaukee employers surveyed, 29 percent plan to hire more employees from July through September. This number is offset by the 2 percent that plan to reduce payrolls, while 68 percent of employers expect to maintain current staff levels and 1 percent indicate they are not sure of their plans. This yields a Net Employment Outlook of +27 percent.
“Locally, employers expect the hiring pace to stay the same compared to Quarter 2 when the Net Employment Outlook was +28 percent,” said Manpower spokesperson Chris Layden. “One year ago, job prospects were weaker when the Outlook was +23 percent.”
Of the more than 11,000 employers surveyed in the United States, 24 percent expect to add to their workforces, and 4 percent expect a decline in their payrolls during the third quarter. Seventy percent of employers anticipate making no change to staff levels, and the remaining 2 percent of employers are undecided about their hiring plans. When seasonal variations are removed from the data, the Net Employment Outlook is +16 percent, equal to the second quarter Outlook.
“U.S. employers have reported the same steady hiring plans throughout 2015, and the third-quarter results are no exception,” said Milwaukee-based ManpowerGroup chief executive officer Jonas Prising. “We are seeing the signs of a healthy labor market, with the outlook improving compared to 2014. Although there is some variance in optimism across sectors, employers are focused on growth and adding to their workforces at a controlled rate so as not to face the consequences of over-hiring.”
