Strong hiring expected locally

Survey: 24% of Toledo-area firms plan to increase staff

Job seekers in the metro Toledo, like those above, face strong prospects in the fourth quarter, according to the Manpower survey.

Hiring in metro Toledo is expected to be strong from October to December, according to a new survey by temporary employment service Manpower Inc.

In a new report released today, Manpower of Milwaukee said that of the Toledo-area companies it surveyed, 24 percent indicated that they plan to increase staffing levels in the fourth quarter.

Manpower does not reveal how many area companies it surveyed.

The company said that 68 percent of those surveyed were planning to maintain staffing levels in the fourth quarter, while just 7 percent planned staff decreases.

Manpower calculates its “net employment outlook” by subtracting the percentage of companies that plan to reduce staff from the percentage that plan to add people. In this case, that gives the Toledo area a 17 percent net employment outlook.

In the third quarter, there was an 18 percent net employment outlook, with 24 planning to hire, 69 percent maintaining staffing levels, and just 6 percent decreasing staffing.

Manpower labeled the fourth quarter outlook “robust,” because in the fourth quarter of 2012 its survey showed metro Toledo with just a 10 percent net employment outlook.A year ago only 16 percent of businesses surveyed planned to increase staffing in the fourth quarter, 76 percent were going to maintain staffing, and 6 percent planned staff decreases.

A year ago only 16 percent of businesses surveyed planned to increase staffing in the fourth quarter, 76 percent were going to maintain staffing, and 6 percent planned staff decreases.

“Employers’ hiring experiences for Quarter 4, 2013, are stable compared to Quarter 3, 2013 when the net employment outlook was 18 percent,” Manpower spokesman Stacy Hammer said. “Compared to one year ago when the net employment outlook was 10 percent, employers are more confident about their staffing plans.”

Manpower said in the fourth quarter, the best job prospects are in construction, manufacturing, transportation and utilities, wholesale and retail trade, financial activities, professional and business services, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality.

Employers in other services plan to reduce staffing levels, while those employers involved in information and government were expected to maintain staffing levels, Manpower said.

For Ohio in the fourth quarter, Manpower said the state would have a net employment outlook of 12 percent. Its report said that 19 percent of employers surveyed plan to increase hiring, 72 percent will maintain staffing levels, and 7 percent plan to make staff cuts.

In the fourth quarter a year ago in Ohio, 15 percent of those surveyed were going to increase hiring, 75 percent were going to maintain staff levels, and 8 percent were decreasing staff.

Manpower said that for the upcoming fourth quarter in Ohio, the best prospects for getting hired were in construction, durable goods manufacturing, nondurable goods manufacturing, transportation and utilities, wholesale and retail trade, information, financial activities, professional and business services, education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and government.

It said only employers in other types of services plan to reduce staffing levels.

Contact Jon Chavez at: jchavez@theblade.com or 419-724-6128.