Solid outlook for job seekers

Demand for new staff is falling but a strong employment market means the outlook for existing employees and job seekers is still positive, a report says.

The Manpower Employment Outlook survey showed 25 per cent of the 839 employers questioned expected to hire more staff in the July to September quarter, down from 32 per cent in the previous quarter.

The proportion of employers expecting to cut staff remained constant at 6 per cent, while the number who expected no change was 65 per cent, up from 60 per cent.

The net employment outlook - those expecting to hire minus those expecting to shed staff - fell from 26 per cent last quarter to 19 per cent. This was the weakest hiring intention recorded since the survey began in 2004.

Varina Nissen, managing director of Manpower Australia and New Zealand, said the employment outlook was encouraging despite the possible softening in job growth.

"This shows that as job growth declines, identifying the right skills in the right location will continue to be the key factor for business success," Nissen said.

"Jobseekers will also need to be willing to relocate to an area where their skill-set is in demand."

Employers in the service sector were the most optimistic with a net employment outlook of 30 per cent, down from 38 per cent recorded in the previous quarter's survey.

Public, administration and education employers were the next most optimistic at 28 per cent.

Of the eight Asia-Pacific countries and territories included in the survey hiring activity was expected to be strongest in India and Hong Kong, with 43 per cent and 30 per cent respectively, while the weakest was expected to be China with just 6 per cent.

"While hiring is set to remain strong over this period in India and Hong Kong, employment prospects are weaker than the same period last year in Australia, China, New Zealand and Taiwan," Nissen said.

"A large part of the robust hiring expectations in Asia-Pacific can continue to be attributed to activity in the finance, insurance and real estate, manufacturing and service sectors."

Expectations

* 65 per cent: no change.
* 25 per cent: to hire staff.
* 6 per cent: to cut staff.