A new survey shows Peterborough-area employers expect a “flat hiring” climate for the second quarter of 2020.
According to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, 10 per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter; three per cent anticipate cutbacks.
“The remaining 87 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the upcoming quarter,” stated Neal Kearney of Manpower’s Pickering, Ont., office.
Kearney said with seasonal variations removed from the data, Peterborough’s second-quarter net employment outlook of plus-one per cent is an eight percentage point decrease when compared to the previous quarterly outlook.
“It is also a 16 percentage point decrease from the outlook reported during Q2 2019, indicating a stagnant hiring pace for the upcoming months,” he said.
Peterborough’s numbers are consistent with the national survey of 1,900 employers, which revealed 14 per cent plan to increase staffing levels in the second quarter of 2020 while three per cent anticipate cutbacks. However, 82 per cent of those surveyed expect their current staffing levels to remain unchanged.
The remaining one per cent are unsure of hiring intentions, the survey reports.
“Though we can expect rigorous hiring activity in many regions, most Canadian employers are keeping their plans modest, partly due to persistent skills shortages,” stated Darlene Minatel, country manager of ManpowerGroup Canada.
“The lack of available talent, especially in manufacturing, construction, and the skilled trades, is leading employers to invest more heavily in their current workforce, bridging staff into open roles and redesigning the employee experience to improve retention.”
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