Peoria area employers expect to hire at a brisk pace during the third quarter of 2005, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

From July to September, 33 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while none expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Manpower spokesperson Doug Orear. Another 67 percent expect to maintain their current staff levels.

“Employers in the Peoria area have significantly more favorable hiring intentions than in the second quarter, when 17 percent of the companies interviewed intended to add staff, and 17 percent planned to reduce headcount,” said Orear. “Employers are more cautious about hiring than they were a year ago, when 47 percent of companies surveyed thought employment increases were likely and 7 percent intended to cut back.”

For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in construction, durable and non-durable goods manufacturing, wholesale/retail trade, finance/insurance/real estate, and services. Hiring in transportation/public utilities, education, and public administration is expected to remain unchanged.

The national results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey reveal U.S. employers expect the stable hiring pattern they’ve reported since the beginning of the year to continue into the third quarter of 2005. Of the 16,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 31 percent expect an increase in hiring for the third quarter, while 6 percent anticipate a decrease in employment opportunities. Fifty-seven percent of companies polled foresee no change in workforce levels, and 6 percent are unsure of their staffing plans. The seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook for the third quarter of 2005 is identical to the second quarter and similar to one year ago. IBI