Cashiers, hospitality workers and tellers look to be in demand.
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March 13, 2007
Rockford — The local job market promises to be among the best in the nation in the next few months, according to a quarterly employer survey.
The majority of employers — 57 percent — said they plan to hire staff in April, May and June, while just 3 percent said they plan to lay off workers, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
It’s the best hiring outlook for Rockford since 2002, the first year the Rockford Register Star began collecting Manpower Inc.’s survey results. And it’s tied with Springfield for the best overall job picture in the state.
The worldwide staffing company found that hiring intentions were much better than in the first quarter, when only 30 percent of companies planned to add staff and 10 percent planned to cut. The second quarter is generally the best quarter of the year as employers gear up for summer; outlook is best in construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, services and public administration, according to Manpower.
A year ago, 43 percent of employers predicted job growth and none planned to reduce staff in the second quarter.
Doug Johnson, local Manpower franchise owner, said the region’s robust job market is probably echoing trends that hit the rest of the country last year.
But that’s a double-edged sword as economists have already begun discussing a national slowdown.
“The softening thing, I’m very curious about what we are going to see the next quarter, if we’ll see what the rest of the country is seeing now,” Johnson said.
The upbeat employment picture draws a greater question about the local job economy: What kinds of jobs are they? Manpower’s survey doesn’t dig beyond hiring intentions, but anecdotally, some job seekers say the outlook is as good for professionals.
Charmides Owens is an admissions representative for Rasmussen College whose job brings him into contact with local human resources managers as he generates interest in graduates.
“There are a limited amount of opportunities for management, IT,” Owens said. “I haven’t seen so many opportunities in those particular areas. But I have seen a lot of cashier, hospitality and teller positions at banks.”
Johnson said the picture is mixed. The staffing company has seen orders for technicians capable of using 3-D drafting programs, along with the usual demand for administrative, office and assembly workers.
“We are also seeing some good opportunities for experienced management people,” Johnson said.
“I’m not quite ready to put the umbrella up and say that things are really bad if you’re somebody who wants to earn more than $40,000.”
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