Hiring to pick up pace in third quarter: Survey

Mining and construction lead the way in hiring intentions

Canadian employers expect an upbeat hiring climate for the third quarter of 2010, according to the latest results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

The survey of more than 1,900 Canadian employers reveals 22 per cent plan to increase their payrolls in the third quarter of 2010, while six per cent anticipate cutbacks. Of those surveyed, 69 per cent of employers expect to maintain their current staffing levels and three per cent are unsure of their hiring intentions for the upcoming quarter.

Based on the survey, the overall net employment outlook is 10 per cent, a three-percentage-point increase from the previous quarter when employers reported a net employment outlook of seven per cent.

“This quarter’s net employment outlook indicates that the fair hiring climate reported in the previous quarter will strengthen in the third quarter of 2010,” said Lori Rogers, vice-president of staffing services at Manpower Canada. “Employers are telling us that they plan to continue to increase their payrolls in the upcoming three-month period.”

The outlook has increased by 11 percentage points from the same time last year, when employers reported a seasonally adjusted outlook of minus one per cent.

Of the 10 surveyed industry sectors, employers in the mining and construction sectors report the most favourable results for the third quarter of 2010, with projected net employment outlooks of 19 per cent and 15 per cent respectively (up from 16 per cent and 12 per cent last quarter, respectively).

This is followed by the wholesale and retail trade sector, where employers anticipate a hopeful hiring climate, with a net employment outlook of 13 per cent (up from eight per cent last quarter).

The education, public administration and transportation and public utilities sectors all expect a lower net employment outlook than the previous quarter (see table).

But the net employment outlook for education is higher than it was for the same time last year (nine per cent compared to five per cent), as is the net employment outlook for transportation and public utilities (three per cent compared to zero).

“Regionally, employers in Atlantic and Western Canada anticipate the most positive hiring climates,” said Rogers.

The net employment outlook for Atlantic Canada is 14 per cent, strengthened by active hiring intentions in the wholesale and retail trade sector. In Western Canada, strong hiring intentions in the mining and manufacturing (durables) sectors have pushed the net employment outlook to 14 per cent as well.

Ontario's outlook is at 12 per cent while Quebec's is more mild at six per cent.

Net employment outlook by sector

Sector

Net employment outlook third quarter 2010

Net employment outlook second quarter 2010

Mining

19%

16%

Construction

15%

12%

Wholesale and retail trade

13%

8%

Manufacturing (durable goods)

12%

4%

Finance, insurance and real estate

11%

8%

Education

9%

15%

Services

8%

4%

Public administration

6%

8%

Manufacturing (non-durable goods)

5%

5%

Transportation and public utilities

3%

7%

Latest stories