Seven per cent of Capital Region employers responding to research firm Manpower say they plan to hire in the first quarter of 2014, equalling the number who expect to lay off employees in the new year.
With the other 86 per cent of respondents to the company’s Employment Outlook Survey looking to maintain staffing levels, Manpower calls the hiring climate “mild” for the upcoming few months.
With seasonal variations taken out of the data However, the net employment outlook of eight per cent – the per cent of firms hiring minus those laying off – is 13 points higher than last year, showing marked improvement over the start of 2013.