Employers in the Milwaukee area expect to continue hiring at an “active” pace during the fourth quarter, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
From October to December, 18 percent of the local companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 6 percent expect to reduce staff, creating a Net Employment Outlook of +12 percent.
“As we look at the final months of the year, employment prospects are trending much weaker compared to the third quarter of 2012 when the Net Employment Outlook was 29 percent,” said Manpower spokeswoman Nicole Langley. “Hiring plans are more optimistic compared to one year ago when the Net Employment Outlook was 6 percent.”
For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in Durable Goods Manufacturing, Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities, Financial Activities, Leisure & Hospitality and Other Services.
Employers in Wholesale & Retail Trade and Education & Health Services plan to reduce staffing levels, while hiring in Construction, Information, Professional & Business Services and Government is expected to remain unchanged.
Of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed in the United States, 17 percent expect to add to their workforces, and 9 percent expect a decline in their payrolls during Quarter 4 2012. When seasonal variations are removed from the data, the national Net
Employment Outlook is +11 percent, identical to the third quarter.
“Despite tumultuous global economies, election uncertainty, record heat waves, healthcare reform and other challenges, employers indicate that steady but cautious hiring progress will continue through the end of the year,” said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup president of the Americas. “Employers have shown remarkable consistency in their careful approach to staff growth. The data shows that companies are very cautious about adding staff, but still have the intention to increase their workforces into the fourth quarter.”
