Grand Rapids area employers expect to hire at a steady pace during the first quarter of 2007, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
From January to March, 20 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, 70 percent expect to maintain their current staff levels, while 10 percent expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Manpower spokesperson David Clonan.
“In the Grand Rapids area, employers expect slightly less hiring activity than in the fourth quarter when 20 percent of the companies interviewed intended to increase headcount, and 7 percent planned to decrease it,” Clonan said. “But, employers are more optimistic about hiring than they were a year ago when 20 percent of companies surveyed thought job gains were likely and 20 percent intended to cut back.”
Job prospects appear best in Construction, Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing and Finance/Insurance/Real Estate in the upcoming quarter. Employers in Durable Goods Manufacturing and Wholesale/Retail Trade voice mixed feelings about their future employment needs, while hiring in Transportation/Public Utilities, Education and Public Administration is expected to remain unchanged.
Of the 14,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 23 percent expect to add to their payrolls during the first quarter of 2007, while 11 percent expect to reduce staff levels. Sixty percent expect no change in the hiring pace, while 6 percent are undecided about their hiring plans for the first three months of the year.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey has been conducted quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter for 40 years.
Source: Man Power
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