Many local firms plan to hire in 2007

By Jeff DeMoss

OGDEN --

Local employers have ambitious hiring plans for the first three months of 2007, according to a new survey, but may not be able to find all the people they are looking for.

The report from staffing company Manpower Inc., based on survey responses from companies in a range of industries, found that 30 percent of local companies plan to add employees in the first quarter.

The new survey data is positive because it shows local employers are more bullish on the economy than they were at this time last year, said Robert Katz, Manpower spokesman for Utah.

"Employers are much more optimistic about hiring than they were a year ago, when 13 percent of companies surveyed thought job gains were likely and 3 percent intended to cut back," Katz said.

However, the scarcity of jobs that existed in the Top of Utah three to five years ago has given way to a shortage of available workers, and employers looking to expand in the state's burgeoning economy are having trouble finding enough qualified people to fill the openings.

Local companies in industries from construction to computer science are reporting a shortage of both skilled and unskilled workers.

Manufacturing-dependent Weber County has been particularly sensitive to a lack of workers for machining and related jobs, said Ron Kusina, chief executive of Weber Economic Development Corp.

"We're facing some critical problems that could really hurt us in the long run," Kusina said.

The state's record-low jobless rate of 2.5 percent in October could inch upward in coming months, but is not likely to show any drastic increases in the short term, said Mark Knold, senior economist for the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

"The labor market should remain pretty tight next year," Knold said. "All signs point to continued economic strength throughout the state."

The outlook survey found that 67 percent of Ogden-area employers are not planning new hires or layoffs in the first quarter, while the remaining 3 percent are unsure. None of the Ogden respondents indicated plans to cut back on employees.

Statewide, 36 percent of Utah companies plan to be hiring in the first quarter, including 47 percent of Salt Lake City employers.

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