BC Business
ManpowerGroup's Employment Outlook Survey for Q3 of 2017 covers five B.C. regions
Attention, job seekers: human resources consulting firm ManpowerGroup just released its national Employment Outlook Survey for the third quarter of 2017. This forward-looking poll of some 1,900 hiring managers, which includes five B.C. regions, delivered good and bad news for the province.
The outlook is most positive in Surrey, where 20 per cent of employers surveyed plan to hire in July through September, none intend to shed staff, and 77 per cent expect to maintain current levels. Stripping out seasonal variations, Surrey’s 14 per cent net employment outlook gains 3 percentage points over the previous quarterly poll and 14 year-over-year, according to Jeff Polkinghorne, ManpowerGroup’s manager for the B.C. region.
Employers in Burnaby-Coquitlam reported a steady hiring climate, with 17 per cent planning to recruit in the third quarter, 2 per cent expecting to cut back and 81 per cent intending to stick with the status quo. At 12 per cent, the region’s net employment outlook climbs 3 percentage points over the previous quarter and falls 3 compared to the same period in 2016.
In Richmond-Delta, the outlook for July through September is modest: 17 per cent plan to hire, 7 per cent intend to shed employees, and 76 per cent aim to keep head count where it is. That leaves the region with a net employment outlook of 6 per cent, 8 percentage points below the previous quarter and down 7 year-over-year.
Likewise, Vancouver employers foresee a modest third quarter. Just 12 per cent expect to add staff, 2 per cent are looking at cutbacks, and 84 per cent don’t plan any changes. Vancouver’s net employment outlook: 6 per cent, a drop of 8 percentage points from the last quarter and 5 below Q3 of 2016.
Lagging the other four B.C. regions is Victoria and Capital Regional District, where 17 per cent of employers plan to hire in the next quarter, 7 per cent expect to trim their payrolls, and 76 per cent intend to keep current staffing levels. That slow climate knocks the net employment outlook down to 5 per cent, 7 percentage points below the second quarter and 15 per cent off the same time last year.
So, how do we compare to the rest of the country? Nationally, the hiring climate looks modest for the third quarter. While 17 per cent of employers surveyed want to grow their ranks, 4 percent think they will cut back, 78 per cent aren’t planning any changes and 1 per cent don’t know. Canada’s net employment outlook: 8 per cent, a 1 percentage point improvement over Q2 and up 2 year-over-year.