Very few communities across the country can match the second quarter hiring plans of employers in Greater Lafayette, according to a survey conducted by Manpower Inc.
Responses from about 40 local companies that were interviewed by the employment services firm show that a robust 57 percent intend to hire more employees during the April-June period. Only 3 percent plan to reduce their staffing levels.
"Lafayette area employers expect significantly more favorable hiring conditions than in the first quarter, when 30 percent of the companies interviewed intended to add staff and 13 percent planned to reduce headcount," said Laurie Brose, manager of the Lafayette Manpower office.
"It speaks to the diversity of industry we have in the area now. It shows some consistency in our area."
Respondents from only six locations in the United States had stronger hiring plans: San Rafael, Calif.; Fort Myers/Naples, Fla.; Temple, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Brownsville, Texas; and Huntsville, Ala.
Two of Lafayette's largest employers -- Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. and the Caterpillar Large Engine Center -- are in the process of increasing their employee levels.
SIA has begun hiring associates to meet an eventual goal of adding 1,000 workers to handle production of the Toyota Camry, which begins next month.
"In September we expect to have hired approximately 650 full-time production associates," said SIA spokeswoman Ann McConnell. "At that time, we expect to have approximately 450 temporary production workers."
Additional employment plans at the Caterpillar Large Engine Center are tied to production of generator sets for the company's C175 diesel engine.
"We're in the process of hiring additional people as they prepare for production for the new C175," said Rusty Dunn, Caterpillar chief corporate spokesman. Dunn was not able to provide details on the number of new employees that will be hired.
Crawfordsville, Monticello Plans
The second quarter Manpower hiring report for the Crawfordsville-Greencastle area shows 23 percent of the respondents anticipate hiring more employees, while none plan to reduce their payrolls.
That's an improvement over the first quarter, when only 7 percent of the companies interviewed were expecting to add workers.
Heartland Automotive Inc. plans to create approximately 18 new full-time positions to operate $1.4 million in new equipment.
The company, which has nearly 570 employees, manufactures injection molded car parts for SIA and expects the new equipment will be installed by September.
Hiring plans for employers in the Monticello-Rensselaer area appear healthy for the second quarter, with 46 percent of the respondents planning to add workers, while 7 percent expect to reduce their payrolls.
"Monticello-Rensselaer area employers expect significantly more favorable hiring conditions than in the first quarter when 13 percent of the companies interviewed intended to add staff and 10 percent planned to reduce (employment levels)," said Dorrie Luck, manager of the Manpower office in Monticello.
"For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in construction, non-durable goods manufacturing, transportation, public utilities, wholesale and retail trade and services."
Statewide, 27 percent of the employers surveyed expect to increase hiring in the second quarter, while 59 percent plan no change, 7 percent anticipate making reductions and 7 percent are unsure of their plans.
The Manpower survey of 14,000 employers across the United States nearly mirrors Indiana's results. Twenty-eight percent plan to increase their payrolls, with 59 percent expecting no change, 7 percent planning cutbacks and 6 percent undecided.
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