KEY POINTS:
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released this week shows that the employment prospects for New Zealand's job seekers, while weaker in comparison to both three months ago and last year at this time, are expected to remain positive.
According to the survey data, the New Zealand employment market should be resilient, with a Net Employment Outlook of +20 per cent in the first quarter of 2008, compared to +26 per cent in the previous quarter.
The survey of 953 employers across New Zealand revealed that employers are expected to remain cautious in their hiring for the period of January-March 2008.
According to Catherine Lo-Giacco, general manager, Manpower, New Zealand, New Zealand's Net Employment Outlook remains encouraging. The moderate decrease in hiring intentions indicates that hiring managers are still feeling confident, yet a little cautious, about taking on new staff over the January-March quarter.
This dip in employer confidence must be balanced against the existing tight labour market, as the skills shortage continues to create structural changes in the workforce.
Employers now need to employ strategies that will ensure they attract and keep the right talent, Lo Giacco said.
Employers in the services industry report the most optimistic hiring intentions at +27 per cent, while all three regions surveyed expect to moderate their hiring intentions over the next three months, with employers in Auckland once again being the most optimistic (+25 per cent), followed by those in Christchurch (+16 per cent), while Wellington has shown the most softening (+15 per cent), Lo Giacco noted.
A copy of the New Zealand report in full can be downloaded at www.manpower.co.nz or www.manpowerprofessional.co.nz
* The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is conducted quarterly to measure employers intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. The Survey has been running for more than 45 years and is based on interviews with more than 52,000 public and private employers worldwide.
