Most companies in the transport and logistics sector will maintain staffing levels despite the economic conditions, a new survey reveals. The
Most companies in the transport and logistics sector will maintain staffing levels despite the economic conditions, a new survey reveals.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey indicates some optimism in employment prospects for jobseekers in the market.
The survey of 2,779 employers across Australia found the majority of employers in the sector are intending to maintain employee levels for the next quarter.
Headcount could grow in the April-June quarter with a net employment outlook of +2 percent, a moderate decline of 4 percentage points but, year-over-year, this has declined by a steep 28 percent.
“The continuation of the current economic challenges is reflected in a downward trend in hiring intentions since the second quarter of 2008,” says Lincoln Crawley, Managing Director of Manpower Australia and New Zealand.
“However the majority of employers will make no reductions to their current headcount, supporting our prediction of a ‘wait and see’ approach from last quarter.”
The survey shows a widespread decrease in hiring intentions in all states, except the Northern Territory where employers are predicting a steady level of growth in the coming quarter (+14 percent). Four of the seven industry sectors in the Northern Territory expect to increase staffing levels during the next quarter.
“The Net Employment Outlook is the weakest it has been since the survey began in the third quarter of 2003 in Australia. However, an increasing number of employers are holding steady with their current headcount as they attempt to ride out the global economic downturn,” Crawley says.
“There seems to be an increased awareness that even though times are tough, employers should not act hastily but rather balance short and long-term by preparing themselves for when the economy recovers.
“To achieve this they need to have retained the appropriate talent or, through a flexible workforce approach, have access to the right skills at the right time.”