Job outlook stable

Charlottetown employers expect moderate hiring climate

“Survey data reveals that seven per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter (October to December), while seven per cent anticipate cutbacks.’’ Mindy Stoltz of Manpower’s Saint John office

Charlottetown-area businesses expect a moderate hiring climate for the fourth quarter of 2017, according to a ManpowerGroup survey.

“Survey data reveals that seven per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter (October to December), while seven per cent anticipate cutbacks,” said Mindy Stoltz of Manpower’s Saint John office.

Another 83 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the upcoming quarter, while the remaining three per cent are unsure of their hiring intentions.

With seasonal variations removed from the data, Charlottetown’s fourth quarter net employment outlook of seven per cent is an 18 percentage point increase when compared to the previous quarterly outlook, and is on par with the same time last year

Across the country, Manpower expects a general trend of modest growth for the fourth quarter. With seasonal variations removed, the net employment outlook of nine per cent is a one-percentage point increase compared to both the previous quarter and the outlook reported during the same time last year.

The survey of more than 1,900 employers across Canada revealed that 12 per cent plan to increase their staffing levels in the fourth quarter of 2017, while six per cent anticipate cutbacks.

Most of the hiring activity is expected to focus on Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, although some other parts of the country could benefit from an anticipated uplift in the oil and gas sector.