Steady hiring climate expected

Survey data reveals that 18 per cent of employers plan to hire for last quarter

Vancouver area employers expect a steady hiring climate for the fourth quarter of 2013, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

“Survey data reveals that 18 per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter (October to December), while three per cent anticipate cutbacks,” stated Jeff Polkinghorne of Manpower’s Vancouver office.

Another 78 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the upcoming quarter, while one per cent is unsure about their hiring intentions.

“With seasonal variations removed from the data, Vancouver’s fourth quarter Net Employment Outlook of 13 per cent is a slight increase of two percentage points when compared to the previous quarterly Outlook,” said Polkinghorne.

“It is also a seven percentage point increase from the Outlook reported during the same time last year, indicating a hopeful hiring pace for the upcoming months.”

“Overall, a mild national hiring climate is projected in the coming quarter,” said Byrne Luft, vice-president of operations for Manpower Canada.

“The construction industry is anticipating the strongest gains, as slower growth in residential construction has been offset by strong demand in non-residential.”

“This is expected to spur creation of new jobs on top of record high employment in the construction industry, though this is most pronounced in Western Canada. Overall, we’re seeing a trend of more companies hiring workers on a temporary or contract basis with relatively few choosing to hire full-time.”

Langley Times