Wisconsin employers appear more confident heading into the new year. Employers in Wisconsin expect to hire at “a respectable pace” during the first quarter of 2011, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. “It is reassuring news, however the the numbers aren’t quite as big as we’d like them to be, even though it is positive,” said Melanie Holmes is a vice president with Milwaukee-based Manpower. “Seveteen percent of the companies interviewed to plan to hire more employees.” Manpower, which releases the global Manpower Employment Outlook Survey quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. Manpower surveyed 282 Wisconsin employers.
There’s also good news in terms of employers who intend to maintain their staffing levels: 71 percent of the companies surveyed plan to maintain their current levels. The best prospects for jobs in the next quarters are in manufacturing, transportation & utilities, wholesale & retail, information, professional & business services and leisure & hospitality. On the national level, survey results show the strongest hiring expectations since 2008. Manpower also ranked Milwaukee as the third best city to be seeking a job in the first quarter. The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released in March.