Peoria area employers expect to hire at a bullish pace during the fourth quarter of 2005, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. Among survey participants, the Peoria employment outlook was the sixth best in the nation.

From October to December, 53 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 3 percent expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Manpower spokesperson Doug Orear. Another 44 percent expect to maintain their current staff levels.

“Employers in the Peoria area expect more favorable hiring conditions than in the third quarter, when 33 percent of the companies interviewed intended to add staff and none planned to reduce headcount,” said Orear. “Employers are showing much more confidence about hiring than they were a year ago, when 33 percent of companies surveyed thought employment increases were likely and 3 percent intended to cut back.”

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

The national results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey reveal U.S. employers are unwavering in their hiring confidence for the fourth quarter of 2005. For seven straight quarters, the job picture in the U.S. virtually has been unchanged.

Of the 16,000 employers that were surveyed, 29 percent expect to add to their payrolls during the fourth quarter, while 8 percent plan to reduce staff levels. In addition, 57 percent of the employers polled report no change in hiring intentions, and 6 percent are unsure of their staffing plans. The seasonally adjusted net employment outlook for the October to December period is 20 percent, which is similar to the third quarter and identical to survey findings from a year ago. IBI