Milwaukee-area employers expect to hire new employees at a fast clip in the fourth quarter, according to a new survey from Milwaukee-based ManpowerGroup.
According to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, 23 percent of companies in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis Metropolitan Statistical Area plan to hire new employees in the last three months of the year, flat from the fourth quarter of 2014. About 3 percent of employers in the area expect to decrease the number of employees, down from 7 percent in the same period last year. Another 73 percent expect to maintain current staff levels, up from 69 percent a year ago. And 1 percent are not sure what the fourth quarter will bring, flat from the fourth quarter of 2014.
In total, the net employment outlook for the metro area is 20 percent, compared with 16 percent in the same period a year ago.
“Local employers anticipate a somewhat weaker hiring pace compared to quarter three, when the net employment outlook was 27 percent,” said Manpower spokesperson Chris Layden. “Last year at this time, employers expected less hiring activity when the outlook was 16 percent, so year-over-year, the outlook is definitely brighter.”
Statewide, the survey revealed a less rosy picture. In the fourth quarter, 22 percent of Wisconsin employers expect to increase staff levels, down from 24 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014. Another 7 percent expect to decrease staff levels in the final months of the year, up from 5 percent in the same period a year ago. Another 70 percent expect to maintain staff levels, up from 69 percent a year ago. And 1 percent of Wisconsin employers don’t know if they will hire in the fourth quarter, down from 2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014.
“Hiring intentions are weaker compared to quarter three, when the net employment outlook was 25 percent,” said Todd Filter, Manpower spokesperson. “The hiring pace is expected to slow down compared to one year ago, when the net employment outlook was 19 percent.”
