News
Canadian manufacturers report strongest hiring outlook in 10 years

Canadian employers expect a steady hiring climate for the fourth quarter of 2010, according to the latest results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. Employers in the Manufacturing-Durables industry sector are anticipating a particularly active hiring pace in the next three months, and reporting the sector’s strongest outlook in 10 years.

Overall, the Outlook of 15 percent is a four percentage point increase from the previous quarter, when employers reported a Net Employment Outlook of 11 percent. The Outlook has increased by 10 percentage points from the same time last year, when employers reported an Outlook of five percent.

The survey of nearly 1,900 Canadian employers reveals that 21 percent plan to increase their payrolls in the fourth quarter of 2010, while seven percent anticipate cutbacks. Of those surveyed, 70 percent of employers expect to maintain their current staffing levels and two percent are unsure of their hiring intentions for the upcoming quarter.

"This quarter’s Net Employment Outlook indicates that the hiring climate will remain steady for the fourth quarter of 2010," says Byrne Luft, VP of staffing operations for Manpower Canada. "Employers are telling us that they plan to continue to increase their payrolls at a similar pace for the rest of the year. And there are other reasons for optimism, as well. The national Outlook is the strongest in almost two years, while the Outlook reported by employers in the Manufacturing-Durables industry sector is the most optimistic forecast in the last decade."

Of the 10 surveyed industry sectors, employers in the Mining and Manufacturing-Durable Goods sectors report the most positive results for the fourth quarter of 2010, with projected Net Employment Outlooks of 25 percent and 21 per cent, respectively. For manufacturers in durable goods industries, this forecast is a nine percentage point increase from the hopeful Outlook reported during the previous quarter. It is also a significant improvement from the Outlook of minus one percent reported during the same time last year. In the non-durable goods industry, manufacturers reported a Net Employment Outlook of 14 percent, a six percentage point increase from the Outlook projected during the previous quarter. It is also an eight percentage point improvement from the same time last year.

Regionally, employers in Atlantic and Western Canada anticipate the most favourable hiring climates. "The survey data indicates employers in Atlantic Canada have positive hiring intentions for the coming quarter, reporting a Net Employment Outlook of 17 percent," says Luft. "The upbeat forecast for this region is due in part to the bright hiring forecast reported by employers in the Manufacturing- Durable Goods industry sector, as many of these firms are located in this region.  Similarly bolstered by solid hiring projections in the Mining industry sector, employers in Western Canada anticipate a steady hiring environment for the upcoming quarter, also reporting a Net Employment Outlook of 17 percent." 

Employers in Ontario expect a respectable hiring climate with an Outlook of 14 percent, and Quebec area employers anticipate a moderate fourth quarter reporting a Net Employment Outlook of eight percent.

For a video overview of the survey visit: http://manpower.ca/ca/en/research/meos/default.jsp.
 
We recently reported similar findings from a Robert Half International Professional Employment Report. Click here to read that news report.