Soft job market expected for beginning of 2007

Los Angeles area employers expect to hire at a slow pace during the first quarter of 2007, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

From January to March, 18 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 18 percent expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Manpower spokesperson Shane Lamb. Another 54 per

cent expect to maintain their current staff levels and 10 percent are not certain of their hiring plans.

“In the Los Angeles area, employers expect more hiring activity than in the fourth quarter, when 14 percent of the companies interviewed intended to increase head count, and 25 percent planned to decrease it,” said Lamb. For the coming quarter, job

prospects appear best in construction, transportation, public utilities and services. Employers in wholesale and retail plan to reduce staffing levels, while those in durable and nondurable goods manufacturing, finance/ insurance/real estate and education voiced mixed hiring intentions. Hiring in public administration is expected to remain unchanged.