Springtime should bring welcome growth in our yards and gardens — and in the state’s job markets. A survey of Iowa employers finds improving job prospects for the upcoming quarter. Mike Lynch, spokesman for Manpower Incorporated, says April, May and June look promising, especially in Iowa’s largest city.
In Des Moines, 17% of employers surveyed plan to add to their staffs while 9% plan reductions. For Des Moines, that’s a slight increase from last quarter and a much brighter picture than a year ago. Lynch says there’s a pattern much of the state is following.
“Job prospects look best in the manufacturing sector, transportation and utilities, information and financial services,” Lynch says. “Really wholesale/retail and education and health and government entities are the only ones expressing their intentions to decrease staff.”
In the Omaha/Council Bluffs area, 11% of employers surveyed plan to increase staff while eight-percent plan cuts. Lynch says Manpower questioned employers in two other Iowa metro areas. Lynch says the job outlook in Cedar Rapids is optimistic, with 14% of employers surveyed planning to increase staff, versus nine-percent predicting cuts.
In the Quad Cities, the margin is a bit closer, with 10% planning to hire and seven-percent expecting to make reductions. Lynch says the state, region and nation are all on a similar footing as the nation recovers from the recession.
“Overall, the entire Midwest is looking relatively good and employers are expressing some optimism towards hiring,” Lynch says. There’s a much lower percentage of employers who say they don’t know what their immediate hiring prospects will be, which Lynch says is “a positive sign that people are having a better handle on what their future is likely to be.”
The national outlook for the upcoming quarter shows 16% of employers planning to add to their staffs, while about eight-percent plan reductions. Learn more at: “www.manpower.com“.
