Job Prospects Looking Brighter

Job prospects are bright for the fourth quarter in Orange County and throughout the West, according to a nationwide survey of more than 14,000 employers. The findings show that 22% of the county employers questioned were planning to hire additional workers, while only 7% anticipated cuts in staffing, 69% expected no change and 2% were undecided.

The survey, conducted by Manpower Inc. of Milwaukee, found the best employment prospects for Orange County in the education, transportation-utility and finance-insurance-real estate sectors. Some staff reductions were predicted in the durable goods sector.

The net change in employment predicted, calculated by subtracting planned decreases from increases, was 15% for the county. The figure, while far better than the previous year’s fourth-quarter figure of 3%, is slightly more than half the 28% net increase expected for the period in 1981--on the eve of the most-recent recession.

For the West, the outlook was the strongest of any region in the country. Hiring plans in the construction industry exceeded any fourth quarter since the booming, post-recession winter of 1977. The West was alone nationally in planning to increase the ranks of construction workers and in bolstering staff in finance, insurance and real estate.

EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK IN THE WEST

Industry Increase No Decrease Don’t Net Category Change Know % % % % % Mining 25 71 0 4 25 Construction 32 59 6 3 26 Manufacturing-- 26 56 14 4 12 Durable Goods Manufacturing-- 26 64 8 2 18 Non-Durable Goods Transportation & Utilities 20 67 9 4 11 Wholesale & Retail 32 57 8 3 24 Trade Finance, Insurance 29 61 5 5 24 & Real Estate Education, Public 29 58 8 5 21 & Private Services 26 63 8 3 18 Public Administration 25 61 9 5 16 All Industries 28 60 9 3 19

Source: Manpower Inc. Employment Outlook Survey Fourth Quarter, 1989 2% Undecided 22% Plan to increase staff size 69% Will stay the same 7% Plan to decrease staff size Forecasts for Orange County Since 1980 1981--28% 1986---7% 1989--15% all figures are from 4th quarter of year Source: Manpower Inc. Employment Outlook Survey for Orange County