Peoria area employers expect to hire at a modest pace during the second quarter of 2007, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
From April to June, 13 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 7 percent expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Manpower spokesperson Doug Orear. Another 80 percent expect to maintain their current staff levels.
“Peoria area employers expect more favorable hiring conditions than in the first quarter when 13 percent of the companies interviewed intended to add staff, and 13 percent planned to reduce headcount,” said Orear. “By comparison, employer hiring intentions are significantly more modest than they were a year ago when 33 percent of companies surveyed thought job gains were likely and none intended to cut back.”
For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in durable goods manufacturing and services. Employers in non-durable goods manufacturing and wholesale/retail trade plan to reduce staffing levels, while hiring in construction, transportation/public utilities, finance/insurance/real estate, education and public administration is expected to remain unchanged.
At the national level, U.S. employers anticipate that job prospects will ease slightly during the second quarter of 2007, according to the seasonally adjusted survey results. Looking back at the last four quarters of data, a clear softening trend emerges, indicating that employers are growing somewhat hesitant about adding staff.
Of the 14,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 28 percent expect to increase payrolls during the second quarter of 2007, while 7 percent expect to trim staff levels. Fifty-nine percent expect no change in the hiring pace, and 6 percent are undecided about their hiring plans. IBI
