Harlingen Job Market Expected to be Among Strongest in Nation
Harlingen area employers expect to hire at a vigorous pace during the second quarter of 2008, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. Among survey participants, the Harlingen area employment outlook is the seventh best in the nation.
From April to June, 53% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while none expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Manpower spokesperson Amy Wilhelm. Another 47% expect to maintain their current staff levels. “Compared with the first quarter of 2008 when 43% of companies interviewed
intended to add employees, and none planned to reduce staff levels, area hiring levels appear to be stronger,” said Wilhelm. “Employers are more optimistic about hiring activity as compared to one year ago, when 37% of companies surveyed planned to increase staff levels and 3% expected to cut payrolls.”
For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in Construction, Durable and Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation/Public Utilities, Wholesale/Retail Trade, Services and Public Administration. Hiring in Finance/Insurance/Real Estate and Education
is expected to remain unchanged.
After seasonal adjustments have been applied to the survey results, U.S. employers foresee a gradual decline in hiring for Quarter 2 2008. Of the 14,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 26% expect to increase their workforces, while 9% expect to reduce staff levels. Sixty percent
expect no change in the hiring pace, and 5% are undecided about their April – June hiring plans. The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released on June 10, 2008 to report hiring expectations for Quarter 3 2008.
Note to Journalists
The complete results of the national Manpower Employment Outlook Survey can be found in the Press Room of our Web site at www.us.manpower.com/pressroom. There you will also find the survey results from more than 420 markets across the United States. The Quarter 2 2008 MEOS national and local results will be password protected until the embargo date of March 11, 2008 at 12:01 a.m. EST. The password that will allow members of the working press to access the information before that time is Q208MEOS. If you experience any difficulty accessing the site, contact Bethany Perkins at meos@na.manpower.com or 414-906-6253.
About the Survey
Employment services company Manpower Inc. releases the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. It is the only forward-looking survey of its kind, unparalleled in size, scope, longevity and area of focus. The survey has been administered for more than 45 years and is one of the most trusted surveys of employment activity in the world. A highly respected economic indicator, the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey reports on findings from 32 countries and territories around the world. The U.S. results are based on interviews with more than 14,000 public and private employers in 460 market areas across the country.