Employers in Wisconsin and the metro Milwaukee area expect to hire at a healthy pace during the first quarter of 2016, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey from Milwaukee-based ManpowerGroup.
Among employers surveyed in the Milwaukee area, 24 percent plan to hire more employees during the first quarter, while 5 percent plan to reduce payrolls and 71 percent expect to maintain current staff levels. That yields a net employment outlook of 19 percent for the area.
For the first quarter of 2015 the Milwaukee area had a net employment outlook of 24 percent, and for the fourth quarter the net employment outlook was 20 percent.
For the Milwaukee area 2016, job prospects appear best in manufacturing, transportation and utilities, wholesale and retail trade, information, professional and business services, education and health services, leisure and hospitality and other services, according to the Manpower Employer Outlook Survey. Employers in construction plans to reduce staffing levels, while hiring in financial activities and government is expected to remain unchanged.
The numbers are similar statewide, with 24 percent of employers planning to hire more employees during the first quarter, while 8 percent expect to reduce payrolls and 66 percent expect to maintain their current workforce and 2 percent were unsure of their hiring plans. That yields a net employment outlook of 16 percent for the state.
For the first quarter of 2015 Wisconsin had a net employment outlook of 18 percent, and for the fourth quarter the net employment outlook was 15 percent.
Nationally, of the more than 11,000 employers surveyed, 20 percent expect to add to their workforce, and 6 percent expect a decline in their payrolls during the first quarter of 2016. When seasonal variations are removed from the data, the national net employment outlook is 17 percent, according to the Manpower Employer Outlook Survey.
Read more in the BizTracker, a collection of economic data reports.
