Peoria area employers expect to hire at a mild pace during the second quarter of 2008, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
From April to June, 17 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 10 percent expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Manpower spokesperson Doug Orear. Another 73 percent expect to maintain their current staff levels.
“Compared with the first quarter of 2008 when 10 percent of companies interviewed intended to add employees, and 7 percent planned to reduce staff levels, area hiring levels appear to be stronger,” said Orear. “Hiring plans are similar to one year ago, when 13 percent of companies surveyed planned to increase staff levels and 7 percent expected to cut payrolls.”
For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in construction and non-durable goods Manufacturing. Employers in Services plan to reduce staffing levels, while those in durable goods manufacturing voice mixed hiring intentions. Hiring in transportation/public utilities, wholesale/retail trade, finance/insurance/real estate, education and public administration is expected to remain unchanged.
After seasonal adjustments have been applied to the survey results, U.S. employers foresee a gradual decline in hiring for Quarter 2 2008. Of the 14,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 26 percent expect to increase their workforces, while nine percent expect to reduce staff levels. 60 percent expect no change in the hiring pace, and five percent are undecided about their April—June hiring plans. IBI
