Flat hiring climate for Cape Breton predicted
SYDNEY — Cape Breton employers expect a subdued hiring climate for the first quarter of 2021, according to the latest Manpower-Group employment outlook survey.
Survey data reveals that 10 per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter, while 16 per cent anticipate cutbacks.
Another 68 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the upcoming quarter, while the remaining six per cent are unsure of their hiring intentions.
“With seasonal variations removed from the data, Cape Breton’s first quarter net employment outlook of plus-2 per cent is a five percentage point decrease when compared to the previous quarterly outlook,” according to Hailey Coleman from the Manpower Halifax office.
“It is also an eight percentage point decrease from the outlook reported during the same time last year, indicating a flat hiring pace for the upcoming months.”
Darlene Minatel, country manager of ManpowerGroup Canada, said a moderate hiring outlook for employers in the first quarter of 2021 can be seen as a positive development with the uncertainty surrounding the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With nine of the 10 industry sectors expecting to add workers in the upcoming quarter, there will be opportunities for job seekers,” Minatel said in a news release.
“All four regions of the country have positive employment outlooks for the first quarter of 2021 but it’s still challenging for job seekers in Western Canada with a flat employment outlook (plus-1 per cent).”