The hiring outlook for the metropolitan Milwaukee market ranks second-best in the nation, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
According to the survey, employers in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis market expect to hire at a rapid pace during the second quarter. From April to June, 27 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 5 percent expect to reduce staff, yielding a Net Employment Outlook of 22 percent. Another 66 percent expect to maintain their current workforce levels and 2 percent are not certain of their hiring plans.
The Milwaukee market trailed only Provo, Utah, which recorded a positive outlook of +29 percent.
“Hiring activity is expected to increase considerably during the second quarter of 2014 compared to Quarter 1 when the Net Employment Outlook was 7 percent,” said Manpower spokeswoman Nicole Langley. “Employers expect improved employment prospects compared with one year ago when the Net Employment Outlook was 18 percent.”
For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in Construction, Durable Goods Manufacturing, Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Information, Financial Activities, Professional & Business Services, Education & Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality and Other Services. Hiring in Government is expected to remain unchanged.
Of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed in the United States, 19 percent expect to add to their workforces, and 4 percent expect a decline in their payrolls during the second quarter. Seventy-three percent of employers anticipate making no change to staff levels, and the remaining 4 percent of employers are undecided about their hiring plans. When seasonal variations are removed from the data, the Net Employment Outlook is +13 percent, stable compared to the first quarter Net Employment Outlook of +13 percent.
“Although we expect measured, stable growth in new hiring for the coming quarter, the good news is that employers anticipate the lowest rate of workforce reductions in nearly four decades,” said ManpowerGroup president Jonas Prising. “With ninety-two percent of U.S. employers planning to hire or keep their staff levels steady, there is a sense of optimism that demand for goods and services is getting more predictable, allowing employers to feel more comfortable about business growth.”
Looking forward, Prising said, “To keep the momentum going, employers need to rethink their talent strategies so they can make the most of continued demand when they feel it. Flexible workforce models that incorporate a mix of full-time and contract staff are essential to getting ahead in today’s uncertain economic cycles. By remaining agile, business leaders can create adaptive workforces that leverage advanced technology and specialized teams to drive strong results.”
