Survey: Hiring to be steady in 2008

By: Terry Ward | SCNow
Published: December 10, 2007

According to Florence area employers who answered the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, hiring should be steady for the first quarter of 2008.

From January to March, 27 percent of the companies interviewed in the survey plan to hire more employees, while 7 percent expect to reduce their payrolls. Another 66 percent of the employers interviewed expect to maintain current staff levels.

“Area employers appear to be sustaining hiring levels when compared with the fourth quarter,” said Bill Doar, Manpower’s spokesman in Florence. “For the fourth quarter of 2007, 18 percent of companies interviewed intended to add employees, and none planned to reduce staff levels.”

Employers expect more hiring activity compared with the same period a year ago, when 23 percent of the companies surveyed said they planned to increase staff levels and 7 percent said they expected to cut back, Doar said.

Manpower also charts job market trends for Hartsville. Employers there expect to hire at a modest pace for the first quarter of 2008, according to the survey.

From January to March, 20 percent of the Hartsville companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 13 percent expect to reduce their payrolls and 67 percent expect to maintain current staff levels. The first-quarter numbers for Hartsville represent a decrease when compared with the fourth quarter of this year.

“Area employers appear to be significantly decreasing hiring levels when compared with the fourth quarter,” said Angie Lawrence, Manpower’s spokeswoman in Hartsville. “For the fourth quarter of 2007, 40 percent of companies interviewed intended to add employees, and 7 percent planned to reduce staff levels.”

Employers in the Hartsville area expect first-quarter hiring activity to be the same compared with numbers from a year ago, when 20 percent of companies surveyed planned to raise staff levels and 13 percent expected to decrease payrolls, Lawrence said.

Nationally, employers expect a solid start to 2008 and to maintain a steady hiring pace.

Of the 14,000 employers surveyed across the country, 22 percent expect to add to their payrolls during the first quarter of 2008, while 12 percent expect to reduce staff levels.

The number of respondents who said they expect no change in their hiring patterns was 60 percent, and 6 percent said they are undecided about their first-quarter hiring plans.

Manpower also reported that job prospects are likely to be best in construction, durable goods, manufacturing and services.

The report indicated that employment in non-durable goods manufacturing and wholesale/retail trade is likely to be mixed, according to those surveyed.

Hiring in transportation/

public utilities, finance/insurance/real estate, public administration and education is expected to be unchanged.

Survey: Hiring to be steady in 2008

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