'Steady hiring climate' forecast for York Region in early 2018
20% of employers plan to hire in 1st quarter of next year, according to latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey

Yorkregion.com
Adam Martin-Robbins
Dec. 12, 2017

York Region employers are forecasting a “steady hiring climate” in the early part of 2018, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.

“Survey data reveals that 20 per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter (January to March), while seven per cent anticipate cutbacks,” Maple Kyriacou, of Manpower’s Markham office, said in a news release.

Another 70 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the upcoming quarter, while the remaining three per cent are unsure of their hiring intentions, the survey says.

“With seasonal variations removed from the data, York Region’s first quarter net employment outlook of 13 per cent is a 20 percentage point increase when compared to the previous quarterly outlook,” Kyriacou said. “It is also an increase of 20 percentage points compared with the outlook reported during the same time last year, indicating an upbeat hiring pace for the upcoming months.”

Darlene Minatel, vice-president and general manager of Manpower Canada Operations, said the “Canadian economy is expected to do well overall in 2018”, but employers are “adopting a cautious approach” and are waiting to see what impact, if any, higher interest rates and proposed minimum wage increases will have on their operations.