The Central Texas jobs market grew in strength during 2007, and is expected to be strong at least through the second quarter of 2008, according to two new reports.
About 2,000 new jobs were created last year in the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood metropolitan statistical area, statistics just released by the state’s work force commission show.
And a Manpower Employ-ment Outlook survey of employers indicates that they “expect to hire at a vigorous pace during the second quarter,” Dennis Bolding of the Temple Manpower office said.
From April to June, 43 percent of companies interviewed plan to hire more workers, while none expect to reduce their payrolls, Bolding said. Another 57 percent expect to maintain their current staffing levels.
The Texas Workforce Commission data show that the civilian labor force in this MSA grew from 151,000 people in January of last year to 153,100 this January.
The TWC does not break down the statistics so it’s possible to see which sectors are growing in the MSA, but statewide most jobs were created in the professional and business services sector, followed by jobs in the trades, transportation and utilities.
In a press release, workforce commission then-chair Diane Rath said, “Texas tops the nation in annual job growth rates in every industry sector, providing more opportunities for Texans.”
Susan Kamas of Workforce Solutions of North Central Texas in Killeen said she sees no real economic downturn taking place in Bell County.
“Our economy is great in Temple, Texas,” she said. Fort Hood, the medical sector and manufacturing sector are, in her words, “booming.”
Nevertheless, the Manpower survey showed that employers will be less willing in the second quarter to make new hires.
“Employers are much less optimistic about hiring activity as compared to one year go, when 66 percent of companies surveyed planned to increase staffing levels and none expected to cut payrolls,” Bolding said.
He said job prospects appear best in durable goods manufacturing, transportation and public utilities, wholesale/retail trade, finance/insurance/real estate, services and public administration. But, hiring in construction, non-durable goods manufacturing and education is expected to remain unchanged.
“Lots of companies need truck drivers,” Bolding said, “and teachers are always in demand.”
Nationwide, the top 10 jobs that are hardest to fill, he said, are machine operators, laborers, accountants, delivery drivers, truck drivers, managers and executives, technicians, mechanics, teachers and sales representatives.
In this area, machinists are highly sought after.
“General laborers?” Bolding said. “We have tons of them.”
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