Brookfield-based QPS Employment Group, a staffing and recruiting firm, has conducted a survey that indicates more than 27 percent of Midwestern companies plan to increase wages in the third quarter.
The quarterly QPS survey was conducted in June and included 263 companies in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. The average company size was 115 employees, and results were not adjusted for seasonal fluctuations.
More than 70 percent of those surveyed plan to hire from one to nine employees in the third quarter, but more than 50 percent of respondents have open positions that are not being filled due to a lack of candidates, the survey showed.
As a result of the disparity, 70 percent of those surveyed have considered adding a training program. And some employers’ plans to increase wages could also help fill the open positions.
“While the majority of companies are not planning to implement wage increases, our local office staff say their most forward-thinking employers are bucking the trend to do what it takes to stay competitive,” said Scott Mayer, president of QPS. “Unless more employers think this way, the industry will not be able to close the demand and supply gap you currently see.”
