Half of N. Utah employers plan to hire
Text 
No Comments [ Add Comment ]By Jeff DeMoss
Standard-Examiner staff
jdemoss@standard.net
O
GDEN -- Half of all Ogden-area employers plan to hire for new positions in the last three months of the year, a new survey found, but whether they will be able to find enough people in a market experiencing full employment remains to be seen.
According to Manpower Inc.'s fourth quarter employment outlook survey released today, 52 percent of Utah employers will add jobs in the fourth quarter, compared with 27 percent of the 14,000 companies surveyed nationwide.
A year ago, 40 percent of Utah employers surveyed said they planned to hire in the fourth quarter of 2006.
"Employer confidence about hiring is stronger as compared to one year ago," said Robert Katz, Manpower spokesman for Utah.
The survey said the best job prospects are in mining, construction, disposable goods manufacturing, transportation and public utilities, wholesale and retail trade, services, and public administration.
Hiring in durable goods manufacturing, finance, insurance, real estate and education is expected to remain flat in the upcoming three months.
While optimism among Utah employers continues to show gains, hiring plans nationwide have been weaker in 2007 than in 2006, Katz said.
The upbeat attitude in Utah could help companies attract workers from other states where the job market is slower or stagnant, said Mark Knold, senior economist for the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
However, the statewide unemployment rate of less than 3 percent is making it tough for local employers to find enough people, Knold said.
"It's great that companies want to expand here, but our labor force is basically fully employed," he said. "They may have to look out of state to meet their expansion needs."
Many job openings in October, November and December tend to be for seasonal positions at ski resorts and retailers looking to beef up their staffing for the holiday shopping season, he said.
Add Your Comment
