Canadian employers anticipate steady hiring pace for third quarter

Two-thirds plan to maintain current staffing levels: Manpower

Canadian employers expect the hiring pace to remain steady for the third quarter of 2011, according to the latest results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

One-quarter (26 per cent) of employers plan to increase payrolls in the third quarter of 2011 while four per cent anticipate cutbacks, found the survey of more than 1,900 Canadian employers. Two-thirds (68 per cent) of employers expect to maintain current staffing levels while two per cent are unsure of hiring intentions for the upcoming quarter.

"Strengthened by an active outlook in the western region, the net employment outlook for the upcoming quarter indicates a respectable hiring climate for the July-to-September time frame," said Lori Procher, vice-president and general manager at Manpower Canada. "Overall, Canadian employers are telling us that they plan to increase their payrolls during the upcoming summer months, which is a good sign for job seekers. And looking at longer-term hiring trends, compared to last year at this time, outlooks are stable or improved."

Regionally, employers in Western and Atlantic Canada anticipate the strongest hiring climates for the upcoming quarter, said Procher.

"The seasonally adjusted data indicates employers in Western Canada expect a positive environment for job seekers, reporting a net employment outlook of 19 per cent. The positive forecast for this region is due in part to the strong hiring forecast reported by employers in the construction and transportation and public utilities industry sectors.”

In Atlantic Canada, employers anticipate an upbeat hiring climate for the upcoming quarter, reporting a net employment outlook of 17 per cent, she said. Meanwhile, employers in Ontario project a steady hiring climate with an outlook of 13 per cent and Quebec-area employers anticipate a hopeful third quarter, reporting a net employment outlook of 12 per cent.

Sectors across Canada

Employers in the mining sector anticipate a solid third quarter, reporting a net employment outlook of 24 per cent once seasonal variations are removed from the survey data, found the survey. This is a one-percentage-point decrease from the outlook reported in the previous quarter. However, it is a five-percentage-point improvement from the outlook reported during the same time last year.

Employers in transportation and public utilities forecast an upbeat hiring climate, reporting a net employment outlook of 19 per cent for the third quarter of 2011. This is a three-percentage-point improvement from the forecast reported for the previous quarter and a 15-percentage-point increase from that reported during the same time last year.

In the public administration industry sector, employers anticipate a respectable hiring environment for the third quarter of 2011, reporting a seasonally adjusted net employment outlook of 17 per cent, said Manpower. This is an increase from the previous quarter, when employers reported a seasonally adjusted outlook of 12 per cent, and it is an 11-percentage-point improvement when compared to the same period a year ago.

Reporting a net employment outlook of 16 per cent, employers in the construction sector anticipate a steady hiring climate for the upcoming quarter. This is on par with the outlook reported during the previous quarter but is a slight increase from the forecast of 15 per cent reported during the same time last year.

In the services sector, employers anticipate a respectable hiring climate for the third quarter of 2011, reporting a net employment outlook of 15 per cent, found the survey. This is a slight drop from the previous quarter when employers reported a seasonally adjusted outlook of 16 per cent but is a six-percentage-point improvement from the outlook reported during the same time last year.

In the wholesale and retail trade industry sector, employers anticipate a hopeful hiring climate, reporting a net employment outlook of 14 per cent. This is a slight improvement from the previous quarter when employers reported a seasonally adjusted outlook of 13 per cent. It is also a two-percentage-point increase from the same time last year.

Employers in finance, insurance and real estate reported a seasonally adjusted net employment outlook of 13 per cent for the third quarter of 2011. This is a slight drop from the forecast of 14 per cent reported for the previous quarter but is a two-percentage-point improvement from the outlook reported during the same time last year.

With a net employment outlook of 13 per cent, employers in the durables manufacturing sector anticipate a positive hiring climate for job seekers. This is a slight increase from the previous quarter, as well as the same time last year, when industry employers reported an outlook of 12 per cent.

In the non-durables manufacturing industry sector, employers report a seasonally adjusted net employment outlook of 13 per cent. This is an improvement from the previous quarter when employers reported an outlook of nine per cent and is also an increase from the outlook of seven per cent reported during the same time last year.

Education employers reported a seasonally adjusted net employment outlook of nine per cent, indicating a mild hiring climate for the upcoming three-month period. This forecast is a slight increase from the previous quarter when sector employers reported an outlook of eight per cent. However, it is on par with the outlook predicted in the same time last year.

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