SW swings further into positive territory

The first quarter of 2017 has seen a boost of confidence in the South West with hiring intentions of +8% according to ManpowerGroup, the world’s workforce experts.

The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is based on responses from 2,104 UK employers. It asks whether employers intend to hire additional workers or reduce the size of their workforce in the coming quarter. It is the most comprehensive, forward-looking employment survey of its kind and is used as a key economic statistic by both the Bank of England and the UK government.

Krissie Davies, Operations Director at Manpower said: “Today’s survey results are great news for the region. Construction is booming in Plymouth, with Bombardier planning to increase its temporary workforce by 50% in the new year. In Exeter, outsourcing experts Sitel are planning to create over 900 jobs in their local call centre in time for the end of 2016.”

“Elsewhere, the picture is more mixed. In Bristol, the requirement for NHS workers has declined while in Plymouth, employers are struggling to find candidates for technical or manufacturing roles. Small parts and soldering skills are in high demand in Plymouth but job seekers are deterred by early starts and limited local transport options.”

“We are also seeing a decline in the number of jobs being offered to young people. We’ve just had the annual influx of 18-25 year olds seeking part-time work to support themselves at university, but this year we’re seeing less demand for student workers. Part-time workers are increasingly keen to go permanent, seeking better job security and opportunities to upskill, but employers are reluctant to take on additional full-time staff, instead preferring to promote existing permanent staff from within.”

The national seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook has risen to +7% for the first three months of 2017, the highest level of optimism in two years. Across the country the private sector plans to hire at its highest rate in three years (+8%), with the construction (+9%), business services (+9%) and utilities (+13%) sectors all reporting very positive Outlooks.

Mark Cahill, ‎ManpowerGroup UK Managing Director: “UK companies are going into 2017 hungry for top talent. Employers are still unsure about what exactly Brexit will mean, but are not letting that uncertainty deter them from hiring. In fact, some employers may be looking to bring in talent while they can before any curbs to freedom of movement across the European Union come into effect, as more than half of all the jobs created by UK employers this year went to EU workers.”

All twelve regions of the UK reported positive Outlooks for the first three months of the year, with only two regions reporting a decline in hiring optimism. The East is the most positive region (+10%), followed by London (+9%). Yorkshire & Humberside reports the biggest increase, rising 9% to join the East Midlands, West Midlands, South West and Scotland on +8%. Northern Ireland reported a five point increase to +4%, while the North East and South East both report 2% rises to +7% and + 5% respectively. The North West (+3%) and Wales (+2%) are the only two regions to report falling Outlooks, both down 2% on Q4 2016.