Surrey Leads B.C. in Hiring Outlook

A new survey has shed some light on the hiring climate for the third quarter in the Lower Mainland and Victoria

The outlook for the next three months is quite lukewarm for Vancouver, while Surrey, Delta and Victoria employers are very optimistic. The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is conducted quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. Approximately 1,900 employers were surveyed nationally. Here’s how the regional outlook is trending, according to the survey:

Victoria and the Capital Region District | Outlook: Upbeat
“Survey data reveals that 27 per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter (July to September), while three per cent anticipate cutbacks,” says Jeff Polkinghorne of Manpower’s Vancouver office. “Another 70 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the upcoming quarter.” “With seasonal variations removed from the data, Victoria & Capital Regional District third quarter Net Employment Outlook of 18 per cent is a slight increase of four percentage points when compared to the previous quarterly Outlook,” says Polkinghorne. “It is also an 11 percentage point increase from the Outlook reported during the same time last year, indicating a positive hiring pace for the upcoming months.”

Surrey | Outlook: Strong
“Survey data reveals that 30 per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter (July to September), while zero per cent anticipate cutbacks,” says Polkinghorne. “Another 70 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the upcoming quarter.” “With seasonal variations removed from the data, Surrey’s third quarter Net Employment Outlook of 21 per cent is a slight increase of one percentage point when compared to the previous quarterly Outlook,” he says. “It is also a three percentage point increase from the Outlook reported during the same time last year, indicating a solid hiring pace for the upcoming months.”

Burnaby and Coquitlam | Outlook: Hopeful
“Survey data reveals that 17 per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter (July to September), while three per cent anticipate cutbacks,” says Polkinghorne. “Another 73 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels while seven per cent are unsure of their hiring intentions for the upcoming quarter.” “With seasonal variations removed from the data, Burnaby/ Coquitlam’s third quarter Net Employment Outlook of 13 per cent is a decrease of one percentage point when compared to the previous quarterly Outlook,” he says. “It is also a four percentage point increase from the Outlook reported during the same time last year, indicating a respectable hiring pace for the upcoming months.”

Richmond and Delta | Outlook: Optimistic
Richmond and Delta area employers expect an optimistic hiring climate for the third quarter of 2013, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. “Survey data reveals that 30 per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter (July to September), while seven per cent anticipate cutbacks,” says Polkinghorne of Manpower’s Vancouver office. “Another 63 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels for the upcoming quarter.” “With seasonal variations removed from the data, Richmond-Delta’s third quarter Net Employment Outlook of 23 per cent is a slight increase of five percentage points when compared to the previous quarterly Outlook,” he says. “It is also a one percentage point decrease from the Outlook reported during the same time last year, indicating an active hiring pace for the upcoming months.”

Vancouver | Outlook: Meh
“Survey data reveals that 21 per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter (July to September), while four per cent anticipate cutbacks,” says Polkinghorne. “Another 75 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing in the upcoming quarter.” “With seasonal variations removed from the data, Vancouver’s third quarter Net Employment Outlook of nine per cent is a slight increase of four percentage points when compared to the previous quarterly Outlook,” he says. “It is also a one percentage point decrease from the Outlook reported during the same time last year, indicating a moderate hiring pace for the upcoming months.”