Employer confidence continues to drop
PrintThe nation’s employers are increasingly hesitant about hiring new staff according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released by the ManpowerGroup. The results of the survey show a continuing downward trend in employer optimism that began this time last year.
The survey canvassed over 2,200 Australian employers in a bid to measure hiring intentions for the coming quarter. The survey fond that 20 per cent of employers expect to increase hiring (down from 24 per cent last quarter), while the number of employers looking to decrease hiring has remained steady at 11 per cent.
“The high exchange rate, low consumer sentiment and uncertainty in Europe is making employers nervous and holding back hiring in many parts of the economy,” Lincoln Crawley, Managing Director of ManpowerGroup Australia and New Zealand.
"While this may seem at odds with the surprise fall in the unemployment rate in April, the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey suggests employers are looking ahead with flagging confidence levels, and responding to economic uncertainty by adjusting their workforce strategies from month to month.”
The survey revealed some surprising results across the country, with hiring intentions in the mining and construction sector dropping significantly, with employer confidence dropping nine per cent from last quarter.
"The Mining sector has been venerated as the workhorse of the Australian economy since the GFC, but the reality is it only makes up about two per cent of our labour market. Frustrations over continued skills shortages and lack of effective solutions in this sector have seen employers take a step back from the aggressive hiring competition that has been a constant in the industry since 2010," Mr Crawley said.
By contrast to the contracting mining sector, employers in finance, insurance and real estate reported the most improved forecast, up five per cent from last quarter. The research also shows a surprising increase in employer optimism in the manufacturing sector, up 3 per cent.
The results are as follows:
Net Employment Outlook Comparison - Region
|
|
Q3 2011 |
Quarter-on-Quarter |
Year-on-year |
|
National |
+10% |
-2% |
-8% |
|
SA |
+8% |
-1% |
-5% |
|
QLD |
+14% |
+2% |
-3% |
|
TAS |
+2% |
+4% |
-1% |
|
VIC |
+5% |
-3% |
-14% |
|
NT |
+18% |
+3% |
+1% |
|
WA |
+19% |
-7% |
-10% |
|
NSW |
+12% |
-3% |
-8% |
|
ACT |
+11% |
0% |
-7% |
Net Employment Outlook Comparison - Industry
|
|
Q3 2012 |
Quarter-on-quarter |
Year-on-year |
|
National |
+10% |
-2% |
-8% |
|
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate |
+19% |
+5% |
-8% |
|
Mining & |
+10% |
-9% |
-16% |
|
Manufacturing |
+7% |
+3% |
-7% |
|
Wholesale & Retail Trade |
+4% |
-2% |
-9% |
|
Transport & Utilities |
+15% |
-4% |
-11% |
|
Public |
+11% |
+1% |
-3% |
|
Services |
+14% |
0% |
-10% |