Prospects for new jobs in Missouri are best in Central Missouri for the first quarter of 2004, a new Manpower Employment Outlook survey reveals.
"From January to March, 23 percent of the Central Missouri companies interviewed in the survey said they planned to hire more employees," said Manpower spokesman Barb Schmutzler of Jefferson City.
The survey showed 64 percent of the employers plan the same number of employees in the first quarter of 2004, 10 percent plan a decrease and 3 percent are not sure what their situation will be.
With 23 percent of Central Missouri employers planning to hire more employees and 10 percent planning less, the net increase is 13 percent, the best in the state of Missouri.
"A year ago at this time, employers forecast a similar job outlook when 23 percent of the companies thought employment increases were likely and 7 percent intended to cut back," Schmutzler said.
For the coming year, job prospects in Central Missouri appear best in the survey categories of Durable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation/Public Utilities and Services.
Central Missouri employers in the Construction category plan to reduce staffing levels while those in Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing and Wholesale/Retail Trade have mixed hiring intentions. Hiring in other categories is expected to remain unchanged.
The survey showed that statewide in Missouri an average of 14 percent of the employers plan to increase employment in the first quarter, 73 percent plan no changes, 9 percent plan a decrease and 4 percent are unsure.
Outside of Central Missouri, the next best job prospects are in the Kansas City area where there is a net increase of 10 percent in new jobs. In Kansas City 23 percent of the employers plan new jobs, 61 percent plan no changes, 13 percent plan a cut and 3 percent don't know.
In St. Louis 10 percent of the employers plan to increase jobs, 83 percent plan no changes and 7 percent plan cuts, for a net increase of 3 percent.
Job prospects are worst in the state in Southeast Missouri in the Bootheel area. In Southeast Missouri 10 percent of the employers plan to hire more employees in the first quarter next year, 60 percent plan no changes, 13 percent plan to cut jobs and 17 percent aren't sure, for a net loss of 3 percent.
A net increase of 10 percent in new jobs is predicted in the first quarter of 2004 in the Springfield area and a net increase of 4 percent in the Joplin area, the survey showed.
National results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey reveal that U.S. Employers continue to show optimism in their hiring forecast for the first quarter of 2004.
For the first time in five years, employers expressed an increase in hiring intentions from the fourth quarter to the first quarter.
Of the 16,000 employers in the United States contacted in the survey, 20 percent said they plan to boost employment levels during the first three months of 2004 while 13 percent anticipate a slower hiring pace.
Sixty-one percent of the employers around the nation expect to offer the same number of jobs as this quarter and 6 percent are unsure of their first quarter employment activity.
When seasonal variations are removed from the survey results, the data reveals that the hiring forecast from January to March is more positive than it was last quarter and relatively consistent with the outlook a year ago.
The survey showed the new year is likely to bring stronger job prospects to each of the four U.S. regions. Employers in the West foresee the most hiring activity, while those in the Midwest are the least optimistic.
Job seekers in the Northeast are expected to have more opportunities than they have in nearly three years.
Jeffrey A. Joerres, chairman and chief executive officer of Manpower, said "five years have passed since we last witnessed an increase in hiring expectations between the fourth quarter survey and the employment outlook for the new year."
"As we look at the results of the survey, employers across the nation are clearly more confident about what they see with demand for their products and services," Joerres said.
The results by sector are as follows:
Construction: When seasonal variations are removed from the data, a healthy employment outlook is in store for the Construction sector. Job prospects within this sector have not been this strong since the first quarter of 2001. Hiring intentions for the first quarter are up from the fourth quarter and a year ago. Job prospects in the construction industry are expected to be strongest in the South and weakest in the Northeast.
Education: The employment outlook for the Education sector has been volatile in the past year, according to the seasonally adjusted survey results. The forecast for the coming quarter, however, marks the second consecutive quarter-over-quarter increase in hiring expectations. Education jobs are expected to be most plentiful in the South and least abundant in the Midwest where job growth estimates for the education sector are nearly flat.
Finance/Insurance/Real Estate: When the seasonal variations are removed from the data, the employment outlook for the coming quarter is the strongest it has been since the second quarter of 2001. Employers in this category plan to offer the most job opportunities in the West and the fewest in the Midwest.
Manufacturing -- Durable Goods: First quarter hiring estimates within the Durable Goods Manufacturing sector have rebounded to the same level they were in the final half of 2002. There is a slight increase in job prospects from the first quarter of 2003.
Manufacturing -- Non-Durable Goods: Employers in this sector anticipate a moderate increase in jobs for the new year. Employment prospects are greatest in the West.
Mining: Employers in the mining sector are more optimistic in their hiring plans than they have been in more than two years. The optimism is most apparent in the Northeast.
Public Administration: With budget increases curtailed in most states, hiring within the Public Administration sector is expected to decline in the first quarter of 2004. Only once in the past decade has the employment outlook within the Public Administration sector been so weak.
Services: Employers in this sector expect to hire at a steady pace. They are more confident than they were in the final months of 2003. Employment prospects in the Services category are best in the South.
Transportation/Public Utilities: When seasonal variations are removed, the new year marks the second consecutive quarter of steady job growth for the Transportation/Public Utilities sector. The best job opportunities are anticipated in the West.
Wholesale/Retail: The employment outlook for this sector is stronger for the first quarter of 2004 than it has been in a year. Wholesale/Retail employers are among those reporting the most promising job prospects for the new year. The strongest hiring activity is expected to be in the Northeast.
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