Newspaper Page Text
September 26, 1984/The Maroon Tiger/Page 8C
Employment Survey Shows Trend
The nation's business firms will
continue to expand their
workforce at an above-average
pace during the fourth quarter,
according to the latest Man
power, Inc. quarterly Employ
ment Outlook Survey.
*
The survey, conducted among
11,700 U.S. firms, indicates that
26% of all firms intend to hire
more people in the quarter
ahead while only 8% of the firms
will reduce their workforce. The
26% figure is exactly the same as
that of one year ago but down
from the 30% hiring factors
present in the past two quarters.
Another 63% will maintain pre
sent employment levels and 3%
are uncertain of future needs.
Mitchell S. Fromstein, presi
dent of Manpower, Inc., a
worldwide supplier of tem
porary workers, said that the new
figures are less robust than those
in the spring and summer
quarters of this year but-
nevertheless indicate a con
tinuation of the upward hiring
trends of the past six quarters. He
pointed out that the staff reduc
tion figure of 8% is the lowest
ever recorded for a fourth
quarter in the nine-year history
of the survey.
"We've had very active hiring
in the first three quarters of this
year,” Fromstein said. "There is a
visible pause taking place right
now as the summer period ends
but no indication that the hiring
recovery has stopped. On
balance, the net fourth quarter
hiring strength as evidenced by
the survey is as strong as we’ve
seen since 1978 and should con
tinue.”
CONSTRUCTION
After seven consecutive strong
quarters, the construction in
dustry shows signs of leveling off
slightly. The fourth quarter is a
time of seasonal weakness and
this trend is intensified following
highly favorable hiring postures
in the second and third quarters.
Construction firms in the South
maintain the strongest hiring
plans, as fall and winter weather
curtail projects in the northern
United States, particularly the
Midwest.
MANUFACTURING
Manufacturing employment
among both durable and non
durable goods companies for the
quarter appears to be uniform
throughout the national slightly
ahead of fourth quarter plans of
last year. Nationally, 25% of non
durable goods manufacturers
will add employees between
now and year-end, slightly ahead
of the 23% last year. In each year,
8% planned cutbacks. Durable
goods producers, however, (27%
increasing) are slightly behind
last year, when 30% expected
increased staffing.
WHOLESALE-RETAIL
In the wholesale-retail sector,
which is traditionally a fourth
quarter leader in anticipation of
holiday sales, a healthy 35% of
employers will increase hiring,
while 8% will decrease. More
aggressive employment policies
during the first three quarters
have left the wholesale-retail
community needing fewer extra
workers than last year.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
EDUCATION
Reflecting the increased stu
dent load, the job outlook in
private and public education is
particularly optimistic. Always
seasonally favorable at year-end,
the education field is particularly
positive for the coming quarter.
The 25% planning to add workers
compared to only 5% expecting
decreases creates the most
favorable outlook since the late
1970s.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Public administration jobs,
though not customarily affected
by seasonal patterns, should
continue to be more plentiful
than in any year since 1978. With
23% planning to hire and 9%
considering cutbacks, the out
look is not quite as favorable as
three months ago, but substan
tially ahead of last year’s forecast
of 17% expecting to add and 12%
planning to trim.
SERVICES
The relatively steady services
industries are looking forward to
a typical fourth quarter, normally
a bit less active than the spring
and summer months. The 23%
figure representing those inten
ding to hire additional workers is
somewhat behind the 29%
recorded in the second and third
quarters, but a bit ahead of the
21% of a year ago. A total of 9%
anticipated staff declines in both
years.
FINANCE, INSURANCE AND
REAL ESTATE
A similar pattern was recorded
by finance, insurance and real
estate firms. Hiring intentions
slipped from the 27% of the April
and July quarters to 22% of a year
ago. Declines were foreseen by
8% for the end of 1984 compared
to 7% last quarter and 6% at the
close of 1983.
SOUTH IS LEADING AREA
Geographically, theSouth has
the most favorable hiring out
look, as it has in the nine of the
last 10 quarters. A total of 30% of
Southern Companies will add
employees between October
and year-end. Only 8%' expect
employment levels to decline,
while 59% expect no change.
Both the Midwest and West
show 24% of companies con
tacted will add staff and 10% plan
decreases. The number of firms
expecting to keep staff size at
current levels varies only slightly,
with 64% of Midwestern
employers indicating no hiring
changes planned and 62% of
firms in the West expecting to
keep staffing levels as they are.
Both represent declines from the
previous quarter, but ap
proximate fourth quarter levels
of last year. Among Northeastern
companies, 25% will increase,
while 7% will trim payrolls and
62% expect no change.
THE EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
SURVEY
Manpower, Inc. conducts the
Employment Outlook Survey on
a quarterly basis. It is a measure
ment of employer intentions to
increase or decrease the perma
nent workforce, and during its
nine-year history has been a
significant indicator of employ
ment trends. The survey, con
ducted during the last two weeks
of August, is based upon
telephone interviews with over
11,700 public and private
employers in 358 U.S. cities.
Manpower, Inc. is the world’s
largest temporary service firm,
annually providing employment
to more than 700,000 people
through its 1,050 offices in 32
countries. Office services ac
count for more than half of the
assignments at which its tem
porary workforce is engaged. Its
parent is The Parker Pen Com
pany.
f — V
Information on Career Placement
Contact: Ben McLaurin at 681-2800 Ext. 320