Job confidence rising in manufacturing

Wednesday 8th December 2010

Employers in the manufacturing industry are becoming increasingly optimistic about job prospects, while those in the finance, insurance and real estate sector are more pessimistic.

Overall, a Manpower employment outlook survey found hiring for the first quarter of 2011 would remain steady.

The survey of more than 650 employers found 24% planning to increase hiring, up from 22% in the 2010 fourth quarter, while the number of employers planning to decrease their staff rose by 1 percentage point to 8 percent.

That means the net employment outlook is at 16%, up 2 percentage points from a year earlier.

The manufacturing sector had the biggest increase in hiring optimism, with the net employment outlook for the sector up 7 percentage points to 20%.

On the flip side, employers in the finance, insurance and real estate sector had a drop of 13 percentage points to 12%, Manpower said.

Manpower New Zealand general manager Chris Riley thought local companies were still wary in the aftermath of the recession.

"There hasn't been a clear trend or pattern this year, in terms of which sectors are hiring strongly," Mr Riley said.

"Ultimately, labour market recovery is a slow process and there is a still a perceived risk and uncertainty among companies looking to expand their workforces."

Mr Riley expected a spike in hiring intentions in Christchurch in coming months as restoration work got under way following the September earthquake, and that should have an impact on the job market across the country.

NZPA

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