Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Forecasts Optimistic Hiring Climate For Third Quarter

Canadian employers project a solid hiring climate for the July to September 2005 period according to results of the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

The survey of more than 1,700 Canadian employers reveals that 34 per cent plan to increase their payrolls while five per cent anticipate cutbacks for a Net Employment Outlook of 29 per cent.

With seasonal variations removed from the survey data, the Net Employment Outlook of 18 per cent is unchanged from the previous quarter; however, hiring expectations continue to be positive through the third quarter of 2005.

“The Net Employment Outlooks for the first three quarters of 2005 are the strongest consecutive projected Net Employment Outlooks since the first three quarters of 2001, once seasonal variations are removed,” said Deborah Bakti, spokesperson for Manpower Canada.

“The regional projections indicate a healthy hiring climate,” Bakti adds, “Employers in Western Canada continue to lead the country this quarter with a booming Net Employment Outlook of 40 per cent, followed by employers in Atlantic Canada with a prosperous Net Employment Outlook of 32 per cent. Ontario and Quebec employers also anticipate an optimistic three months with Net Employment Outlooks of 25 and 21 per cent, respectively.”

Of the 10 industry sectors surveyed, employers in the Mining sector report the most robust results for the July to September 2005 period with a Net Employment Outlook of 38 per cent. Employers in the Wholesale & Retail Trade and Public Administration sectors anticipate a healthy three month period with Net Employment Outlooks of 24 and 20 per cent, respectively.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is conducted quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey in Canada is based on interviews with more than 1,700 public and private employers in 43 markets across the country. The margin of error for the Canadian survey is 2.4 per cent.