A new report shows few Iowa employers are expecting to add jobs over the last three months of the year. The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for the fourth quarter of 2012 yielded a net employment outlook of just 10%.
Karen Miller is spokeswoman for Manpower in Des Moines. “For the fourth quarter of this year, we’re looking at 20% of the companies that we surveyed are planning on increasing (employment) while 10% are planning on decreasing. So we have a net employment outlook of 10%,” Miller said.
Another 68% of Iowa employers surveyed expect to maintain their current staffing levels, while 2% are uncertain. Iowa employers’ hiring plans are much weaker when compared to the third quarter survey. “We had a very robust third quarter outlook,” Miller said. “The net employment outlook for the third quarter was 24%.”
The Manpower survey mirrors a report released last week by the Iowa Business Council – showing the CEOs of Iowa’s largest companies anticipate a slowdown in sales, capital spending and employment in the coming six months. Miller suspects many business owners are taking a “wait and see” approach.
“I think employers are being really cautious because of the pending elections, health care, global economic issues and fluctuation and the (drought),” Miller said. “We’ve had a myriad of factors that have impacted the fourth quarter number.” Manpower surveyed more than 18,000 employers across the U.S. The overall national report shows 17% expect to add to their workforces and 9% expect a decline in payrolls – for a fourth quarter net employment outlook of 11%.