A new report indicates Hamilton area employers are expecting a cautiously optimistic hiring climate at the start of the new year.
The latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey says 10 per cent of employers plan to hire for the first quarter of 2020.
The survey says the remaining 90 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the upcoming quarter.
“It is also a 17 percentage point decrease from the Outlook reported during the same time last year, indicating a reserved hiring pace for the upcoming months.”
Nationally, the survey shows Canadian employers expect a conservative hiring pace over the next three months.
The survey of over 1,900 employers across Canada reveals that 12 per cent of employers plan to increase their staffing levels in the first quarter of 2020, while six per cent anticipate cutbacks.
Eighty-one per cent expect their current staffing levels to remain unchanged, while the remaining one per cent are unsure of their hiring intentions.
Employers in the manufacturing/durables sector report the strongest job prospects, and job creators in the Quebec region are forecasting the strongest Outlook of the four regions in Canada.
With seasonal variations removed from the data, the Net Employment Outlook of +10 per cent is a two percentage point decrease when compared to both the previous quarterly (4Q 2019) and the Outlook reported during the same time last year (1Q 2019).
The report says employers in nine of the 10 industry sectors in all four regions of the country expect to add to payrolls next quarter.
“At the beginning of 2020, prospects for Canadian job seekers, while still positive, are tightening,” said Darlene Minatel, Country Manager of ManpowerGroup Canada.
“Despite the slight decline in the national employment outlook, unemployment remains low in Canada and wages continue to rise. Clearly, it’s still a job seeker’s market. Employers are also grappling with widening skills gaps and are hard-pressed to find bilingual talent and those in the skilled trades.
“Job seekers would be well advised to seek training in these areas, while employers might consider upskilling and bridging programs to close the gap.”