Manpower survey shows widespread hiring freezes
Two-thirds of employers in southeastern Wisconsin are planning no changes in their staffing levels during the first quarter of 2009, according to the newest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
"From January to March, 18 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 13 percent expect to reduce their payrolls. Another 66 percent expect to maintain their current staff levels and 3 percent are not certain of their hiring plans," Manpower spokeswoman Nicole Langley said.
The survey covers the Milwaukee, Waukesha and West Allis metropolitan statistical area.
For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in durable and nondurable goods manufacturing, transportation and utilities, financial activities, professional and business services and other services sectors. Employers in construction and government plan to reduce staffing levels, while hiring in wholesale and retail trade, information, education and health services and leisure and hospitality is expected to remain unchanged.
Of the 31,800 employers surveyed by Milwaukee-based Manpower Inc. in the United States, 16 percent expect to increase their staff levels in the first quarter, while 13 percent expect to reduce their payrolls, resulting in a net employment outlook of 3 percent. Sixty-seven percent expect no change in hiring, and 5 percent are undecided about their hiring plans.
Schneider Regional expands service into the South
Schneider National Inc., the Green Bay-based transportation company with the familiar orange semi-trucks, today announced it is extending its Schneider Regional service to customers in the south-central United States.
The expansion will grow the company’s regional footprint to 16 states in less than a year since it first launched the offering in seven states. The expansion includes the addition of 500 trucks and more drivers to the company’s regional fleet.
Schneider first launched its regional service to western U.S. customers in January 2008, providing service in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
The new south-central regional service will add an additional nine states to that list: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama.
Regional terminals will be located in Dallas, Houston and Memphis and will serve as hubs for customer service representatives and drivers who are dedicated solely to that region of the country. Regional drivers develop regular driving routes, allowing them to spend more time at home and consistent workloads.
Marc Rogers is leading Schneider regional’s offerings in both the western and south-central United States.
"We have had an overwhelmingly positive response from our customers using Schneider’s regional service in western states," Rogers said. "Combining a high level of service with competitive prices and the capacity of a large carrier that’s close to home is exactly what today’s customers want and need. The positive response led us to expand Schneider Regional into nine more states – eventually adding 500 units and more jobs to our regional fleet."
