WisBusiness: Manpower survey finds mixed bag for state hiring outlook

By WisBusiness Staff

A new employment outlook survey finds a mixed bag for employers’ hiring plans in and around Wisconsin during the first three months of next year.

Nationally, Manpower finds a employers anticipate a moderate increase in their hiring plans, with 12 percent expecting to increase their staff levels while 12 percent expect to reduce payrolls. Manpower says that’s a Net Employment Outlook of 0 percent, but when the numbers are seasonally adjusted, the Net Employment Outlook becomes positive 6 percent. Milwaukee-based Manpower surveys more than 28,000 U.S. employers to ask about hiring plans.

Here are the 1st quarter results for state and regional metro areas singled out by Manpower (click the city names for full results):

  • Appleton: Area employers expect to hire at a unsteady pace. From January to March, 9% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 11% expect to reduce their payrolls. Job prospects appear best in Wholesale & Retail Trade, Information, Financial Activities and Other Services. Employers in Construction, Durable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities and Professional & Business Services plan to reduce staffing levels.
  • Green Bay: Area employers expect to hire at a reserved pace. From January to March, 12% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 16% expect to reduce their payrolls. For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in Durable and Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities and Wholesale & Retail Trade. Employers in Construction, Information, Professional & Business Services and Government plan to reduce staffing levels.
  • Madison: Area employers expect to hire at a unsteady pace. From January to March, 14% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 14% expect to reduce their payrolls. Job prospects appear best in Durable and Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Information, Financial Activities and Other Services. Employers in Construction, Transportation & Utilities, Leisure & Hospitality and Government plan to reduce staffing levels.
  • Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis: Area employers expect to hire at a unsteady pace. From January to March, 11% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 11% expect to reduce their payrolls. Job prospects appear best in Durable and Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Information and Education & Health Services. Employers in Construction, Transportation & Utilities, Professional & Business Services and Government plan to reduce staffing levels.
  • Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill.: Area employers expect to hire at a slow pace. From January to March, 8% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 16% expect to reduce their payrolls. Job prospects appear best in Financial Activities and Professional & Business Services. Employers in Construction, Durable and Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Information, Leisure & Hospitality and Government plan to reduce staffing levels.
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.: Area employers expect to hire at a slow pace. From January to March, 11% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 13% expect to reduce their payrolls. Job prospects appear best in Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Information, Financial Activities, Education & Health Services and Leisure & Hospitality. Employers in Construction, Transportation & Utilities, Professional & Business Services and Government plan to reduce staffing levels.
  • Duluth, Minn.: Area employers expect to hire at a fair pace. From January to March, 17% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 12% expect to reduce their payrolls. Job prospects appear best in Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Professional & Business Services, Education & Health Services and Other Services. Employers in Construction, Durable Goods Manufacturing, Financial Activities and Government plan to reduce staffing levels.

See the national press release