Providence-area employers anticipate a “dull” job market in the second quarter, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today.
The region’s outlook is among the weakest nationwide, the report said. From April to June, only 13 percent of companies surveyed expect to hire more workers, while 23 percent expect to pare their payrolls, 51 percent expect to maintain current staffing levels and 13 percent are not certain of their plans.
Local job prospects were brightest in construction and finance/insurance/real estate, Manpower said. Manufacturers of durable goods had mixed expectations, while staff cuts were planned by employers in non-durable goods manufacturing, transportation/public utilities and wholesale/retail trade. In other sectors, no staffing changes were expected.
“Providence-area employers expect similar hiring conditions to the first quarter, when 10 percent of the companies interviewed intended to add staff and 20 percent planned to reduce headcount,” said Scott Shelley, a spokesperson for Manpower. Second-quarter hiring intentions, he said, “are much more modest than they were a year ago, when 23 percent of companies surveyed thought job gains were likely and 13 percent to cut back.”
Nationally, of 14,000 employers surveyed, 28 percent expect to increase their staff in the second quarter, 7 percent expect to trim their payrolls, 59 percent expect no change and 6 percent are undecided.
Employers in the Northeast and South expect to maintain similar levels of employment activity, while those in the Midwest and West anticipate slightly weaker hiring conditions in the next three months. Southern employers were the most upbeat about hiring, and Midwesterners the least.
“Looking back at the last four quarters of data,” Manpower said, “a clear softening trend emerges indicating that employers are growing somewhat hesitant about adding staff.”
Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a $16 billion employment services company with 4,400 offices in 73 countries and territories around the globe. Its U.S. Employment Outlook Survey has been conducted each quarter for more than 40 years. Additional information, including the full survey report, can be found at www.manpower.com.
