A new labour market survey shows about 28 per cent of Calgary-area companies plan to boost their workforce over the summer while only five per cent are considering staff cutbacks.
“A year ago at this time, employers were more optimistic as 43 per cent thought increases were likely and seven per cent were intending to cut back,” said Manpower Inc. spokesman Byrne Luft.
Another 59 per cent of local companies expect payrolls to remain steady and eight per cent have not yet determined their needs.
The survey, released last week, shows new job openings are foreseen in Canada this quarter in mining, construction, durable and non-durable goods manufacturing, wholesale/retail trade and services. Education employers anticipate reductions, while transportation/public utilities firms report mixed intentions.
“Historically, the second and third quarters have always been the most active hiring periods, and this year is no exception,” Steve Walker, Manpower’s chief operating officer for North America, said. “Nationally, 36 per cent of employers intend to hire while only six per cent see cutbacks. Overall, the Canadian job market remains quite strong.”
Nationally, employers in every industry foresee more additions than decreases this quarter. The most buoyant industry projections for the coming quarter were seen in construction, where 62 per cent of companies surveyed indicate they will need more hands for the July-September months, while only three per cent were planning cutbacks.
The softest sectors were finance, insurance and real estate, where only 14 per cent of companies were planing to add personnel.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is conducted by global staffing agency Manpower Inc.