Employment outlook to stay stable in third quarter: Manpower survey

TORONTO – A survey by international human resources firm Manpower Inc. suggests about 20 per cent of Canadian companies expect to add to their payrolls in the third quarter.

However, Manpower Inc. says that figure falls to 10 per cent when seasonal variations are factored in, along with the four per cent of firms that expected to shed workers in the July-September period.

That’s one percentage point higher than both the second and third quarters of 2013.

Most of the companies surveyed, 74 per cent, said they planned on keeping staffing levels the same, while two per cent were unsure what their hiring would be like in the upcoming quarter.

The survey found that hiring intentions were most favourable in Western Canada, with employers there reporting the highest net employment outlook out of any region at 15 per cent.

For the first time, the poll also broke down the results by the size of the employer. It found that medium-sized firms — those with 50 to 249 employees —reported the most positive net employment outlook at 21 per cent.

They were followed by large organizations — those with 250 or more employees —with a net employment outlook of 18 per cent and small business at 11 per cent.

Micro companies, those with less than 10 employees, had the most negative outlook, coming in at three per cent.

“Although a fair hiring climate is projected for the third quarter of 2014, we are seeing some potential for brighter opportunities for job seekers,” Byrne Luft, vice-president of operations for Manpower Canada said in a statement.

“On the whole, the survey indicates that one out of every five employers intend to add to their payrolls in the next three months. Plus, employment levels in professional, scientific and services sectors are hitting record highs and Canadian manufacturers’ sales are returning to pre-recession levels.”