Dim Job Market Expected for Burlington
March 15, 2005 -- Burlington area employers expect to hire at a sluggish pace during the second quarter of 2005, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. Among survey participants, the Burlington area employment outlook is one of the weakest in the nation.
From April to June, 14% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 28% expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Manpower spokesperson Tom Winner. Another 44% expect to maintain their current staff levels and 14% are not certain of their hiring plans.
Burlington area employers have weaker hiring intentions than in the first quarter when 20% of the companies interviewed intended to add staff, and 17% planned to reduce headcount," said Winner. "Employers are much less positive about hiring than they were a year ago when 20% of companies surveyed thought employment increases were likely and 7% intended to cut back."
For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in Wholesale/Retail Trade. Employers in Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing, Education and Public Administration plan to reduce staffing levels, while those in Durable Goods Manufacturing and Services voice mixed hiring intentions. Hiring in Construction, Transportation/Public Utilities and Finance/Insurance/Real Estate is expected to remain unchanged.
The national results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for the second quarter of 2005 reveal that strong hiring activity is expected to continue across the United States.
Of the 16,000 U.S. employers that were surveyed, 30% plan to add staff in the second quarter, while 7% expect to reduce their payrolls. Fifty-eight percent of the hiring managers polled anticipate no change in staff levels for the coming quarter, and 5% are unsure of their hiring plans.
When seasonal variations are removed from the data, the Net Employment Outlook is the same as it was for the first three months of the year and is similar to last year at this time. In fact, this marks the fifth consecutive quarter in which employers have reported hiring expectations that rival those last seen in the beginning months of 2001.