Employment specialist Manpower has released its first quarterly Employment Outlook Survey for 2012, finding a generally ‘upbeat hiring pace in Quarter 1, 2012’.

 

The report found that 23 per cent of employers predict an increase in headcount, while only 10 per cent expect to reduce their labour pool, with 65 per cent forecasting no change.

 

The survey was conducted by interviewing a sample pool of 2,251 employers in Australia, all of whom were asked how they anticipate their total employment to change in the coming three months.

 

The state-by-state breakdown in the survey found that all seven regions are reporting a generally positive hiring environment, with the most optimistic hiring prospects being reported in Western Australia, which reported a 23 per cent positive response. The state’s positive response is predominately driven by the mining and construction sector, which are looking to rapidly expand operations and stem any labour shortages.

 

Despite plans to expand hiring operations, employers continue to post weaker hiring prosects year-over-year. The most noteworthy declines of  13 and 12 percentage points are reported by employers in Victoria and South Australia, respectively. Employers in Queensland and Northern Territory report Outlook declines of seven percentage points, and the Tasmania Outlook weakens by six percentage points.

 

The state-by-state breakdown is as follows:

  • ACT - +16 per cent: Report predicts ‘respectable’ hiring conditions, despite reporting the weakest environment since Quarter 3 2009.
  • NSW -  +16 per cent: Report predicts ‘upbeat hiring pace’.
  • NT - +11 per cent: Employers are reporting hopeful hiring prospects.
  • Queensland - +12 per cent: Despite a 4 per cent drop, hiring prospects are generally positive
  • South Australia -  +6 per cent: South Australia has reported a 6 per cent drop, but employers generally remain positive.
  • Tasmania -  +7 per cent: The report found employers to be ‘cautiously optimistic’ about hiring plans for Quarter 1, 2012.
  • Victoria  - +11 per cent: Victoria has posted a ‘favourable hiring climate’ in the first quarter.
  • Western Australia - +23 per cent: The state has posted the strongest growth in employment prospects, driven by a booming mining and minerals sector.

 

The full report can be found here