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U.S. Employers Foresee Subdued Hiring Activity

14 percent of those surveyed see slow employee growth in second quarter

By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com

March 10, 2009

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While the job market may be tough right now, one forecast says things are about to get even tougher over the next few months.

U.S. employers are projecting a considerably slower hiring pace for the upcoming second quarter, according to the seasonally adjusted results of the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

A significant number of employers surveyed anticipate no change in their employment intentions for the upcoming quarter, said Jeffrey A. Joerres, Chairman and CEO of Manpower Inc. This tells us that in this difficult economic environment, employers are attempting to manage the tension between generating a profit and maintaining their workforce infrastructure.

Of the 31,800 employers surveyed, 15 percent anticipate an increase in their staff levels during Quarter 2 2009, while 14 percent expect a decrease in their payrolls. Sixty-seven percent of employers surveyed expect no change in their April-June hiring plans. Another 4 percent are undecided about their hiring intentions for Quarter 2 2009.

"We know that companies are having great difficulty forecasting consumer demand right now, and that's a key impediment to hiring," said Jonas Prising, Manpower president, the Americas. "It's like trying to make out the image in a stained glass window with no light behind it — it's tough — so employers anticipate running lean until there's more light."

The national survey data show employers in a majority of the industry sectors surveyed anticipate decreasing their payrolls compared with three months ago. Employers in Mining, Durable and Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Information, Financial Activities, Professional & Business Services, Education & Health Services, Other Services and Government anticipate a decline in hiring, while Transportation & Utilities employers plan to keep hiring levels relatively stable for the second quarter.

Construction and Leisure & Hospitality employers anticipate increased hiring activity as compared with the first quarter. Though, despite the increase in Construction, employers in this industry sector still report a negative Net Employment Outlook.

Each of the four U.S. regions surveyed expects weaker employment Outlooks compared with last quarter and last year, according to the seasonally adjusted data. Hiring in the Northeast is expected to be the strongest, while employers in the Midwest and West are less optimistic. Employers in the South, who reported the strongest hiring Outlook in the first quarter, anticipate the weakest hiring pace in the second three months of the year.

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