Few Hamilton area employers anticipate hiring in fourth quarter: report

A new report is out with some discouraging news for job seekers in Hamilton.

The latest ManpowerGroup employment outlook survey shows Hamilton-area employers are expecting a modest hiring climate for the fourth quarter of this year.

The survey shows only seven per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter, while another seven per cent anticipate cutbacks.

The remaining 86 per cent plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the last three months of 2019.

“With seasonal variations removed from the data, Hamilton’s fourth quarter Net Employment Outlook of plus-nine per cent is a nine percentage point decrease when compared to the previous quarterly outlook,” said Erica Melarangeli of Manpower’s Stoney Creek office. “It is also a 13 percentage point decrease from the outlook reported during the same time last year, indicating a cautiously optimistic hiring pace for the upcoming months.”

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Nationally, the survey of over 1,900 employers across Canada reveals that 15 per cent of employers plan to increase their staffing levels in the fourth quarter of 2019, while six per cent anticipate cutbacks.

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Seventy-eight per cent of the employers surveyed expect their current staffing levels to remain unchanged, while the remaining one per cent is unsure of their hiring intentions.

“As 2019 ends, the market for Canadian job seekers is a bit of a mixed bag. While unemployment figures were at record lows over the summer, the hiring outlook seems to be weakening in some sectors,” said Darlene Minatel, country manager for ManpowerGroup Canada.

“Companies want to remain competitive and maintain their employee levels as they go into the new year,” added Minatel. “At the same time, there is a real struggle to find and retain qualified talent. On the positive side, Quebec is boasting their strongest hiring pace since we added the regional analysis to the survey 16 years ago. With provincial finances under control and a strong tech scene centered around four universities, the province is making up for lost time and creating more jobs.”