Watch CBS News

Lots Of Hiring Coming This Spring, Manpower Survey Says

MILWAUKEE (WWJ) - Employers in the Detroit area, West Michigan and the state as a whole are expected to hire at a brisk pace during the second quarter, according to the latest Employment Outlook Survey, released Tuesday by the Milwaukee, Wis.-based temporary help firm Manpower Inc.

In the Detroit-Warren-Livonia Metropolitan Statistical Area, 21 percent of surveyed companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while just 6 percent expect to reduce staff. Another 69 percent expect to maintain their current workforce levels and 4 percent are not certain of their hiring plans. This yields a Net Employment Outlook of plus 15 percent.

The hiring pace is significantly higher than in the first quarter, when the outlook was plus 7 percent, and stronger than the second quarter of 2013, when the outlook was plus 5 percent.

In the April-to-June quarter, job prospects appear best in construction, durable and non-durable goods manufacturing, transportation and utilities, professional and business services, education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and other services. Employers in wholesale and retail trade pan to reduce staffing, while hiring in information, financial activities and government is expected to remain unchanged.

The MSA includes the six counties of Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne.

In West Michigan's Grand Rapids-Wyoming MSA, 19 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 7 percent expect to reduce staff. Another 72 percent expect to maintain their current workforce levels and 2 percent are not certain of their hiring plans. This yields a Net Employment Outlook of plus 12 percent.

That's down from the first quarter, when this region's outlook was plus 16 percent. A year ago, it was plus 11 percent.

For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in durable and nondurable goods manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, professional and business services, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality. Employers in construction plan to reduce staffing levels, while hiring in transportation and utilities, financial activities, other services and government is expected to remain unchanged.

This MSA includes the four counties of Barry, Kent, Montcalm and Ottawa.

For the state as a whole, 22 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 3 percent expect to reduce their payrolls. Another 71 percent expect to maintain their current staff levels and 4 percent are not certain of their hiring plans. This yields a Net Employment Outlook of plus 19 percent.

That's up from the first quarter, when the index was plus 9 percent. A year ago, the index was plus 13 percent.

Statewide, job prospects appear best in construction, durable and nondurable goods manufacturing, transportation and utilities, wholesale and retail trade, financial activities, professional and business services, education and health services, leisure and hospitality, other services and government. Hiring in information is expected to remain unchanged.

Nationwide, of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed in the United States, 19 percent expect to add to their workforces, and 4 percent expect a decline in their payrolls during the second quarter. Seventy-three percent of employers anticipate making no change to staff levels, and the remaining 4 percent of employers are undecided about their hiring plans. When seasonal variations are removed from the data, the national net employment outlook is plus 13 percent, unchanged from the first quarter.

The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released on June 10 to forecast hiring in the third quarter, July through October.

More at www.manpower.com.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.