While the economic news seems bleak on all fronts these days, a new national survey of employers makes a case for optimism, particularly in metro Atlanta.
Twenty percent of local companies interviewed by Milwaukee-based Manpower said they plan to increase staffing in the fourth quarter of this year from their current level. Only 10 percent said they expect to decrease staffing. Another 66 percent expect to maintain the current staffing level, while the rest said they didn't know.
According to the employment services firm, that represents a 10-percent gain in the Atlanta area's net employment outlook. Manpower regional director Beth Herman said it continues an upbeat trend.
"It means [employers] feel they will have the work," Herman said. "If I'm a job-seeker, that's really positive news."
Industries where job prospects appear strongest for the fourth quarter are construction, durable goods manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, information, financial activities, professional and business services, and education and health services.
The Atlanta outlook was more upbeat than the country's and the state's. Across Georgia, 15 percent of employers look to increase employment from October through December, while 9 percent expect to reduce staffing, for a 6-percent gain in the net employment outlook.
Nationally, 16 percent of employers said they expect to add to their workforces in the fourth quarter, while 11 percent expect to reduce staffing.
The Manpower survey doesn't guarantee what employers will actually do. Still, the results reflect a more optimistic view on the part of employers, especially when compared to their expectations during the depths of the recession.
In the fourth quarter last year, only 10 percent of employers said they planned workforce increases, while 8 percent expected to cut staffing
The Manpower survey is based on interviews with 18,000 employers across the U.S., and covers a mix of industries. It is conducted quarterly.
