Survey Cites Layoff Plans

Nearly one in every four large employers in Oxnard, Ventura and Camarillo plan layoffs in the fourth quarter, according to a survey by Manpower Inc. The temporary help firm said 24% of the companies in the Oxnard Plain are planning layoffs, while only 10% expect to increase their payrolls.

The Ventura County outlook is bleaker than that for the state and nation as a whole, according to Manpower. The survey, which measures hiring intentions of 15,000 employers in 465 cities, found that 15% of California employers plan to add workers and 16% plan layoffs in the fourth quarter. Nationwide, 21% plan to increase work forces while only 11% expect to make cuts.

“I’ve been with Manpower in various parts of California for 9 1/2 years, and this is the gloomiest mood I’ve ever encountered among business people,” said Gary Gluntz, Manpower’s area manager for Los Angeles and most of Ventura County.

In Ventura County, the pessimism is especially deep in durable-goods manufacturing, education and service fields such as hotels and hospitals, Gluntz said. “Cutbacks are expected in all of these industries, and the state’s budget problems are now placing some city, county and state government jobs in jeopardy.”

The Manpower official listed construction, wholesaling and retailing as fields in which fluctuations are expected. Executives in finance, insurance and real estate said they intend to add personnel.

“The Christmas shopping season this year is a question mark,” Gluntz said. “With so many people out of work, stores are not expecting a huge surge of buying.”

Gluntz noted that Ventura County’s jobless rate hit 8.8% in July, the highest level in seven years. He said uncertainty over the presidential election also is putting a damper on consumer spending.

Despite the widespread pessimism, Gluntz said, 59% of Ventura County employers plan no payroll changes, while 7% are undecided.