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More jobs expected as employers plan to hire

A new survey suggests over a quarter of Capital Region employers plan to hire more staff this summer.

A new survey suggests over a quarter of Capital Region employers plan to hire more staff this summer, largely thanks to an upswing in the construction and tourism sectors.

The Manpower employment outlook survey found 27 per cent of surveyed employers in Greater Victoria plan to hire in the upcoming quarter (from July to September), while only three per cent of employers are planning cutbacks.

Removing seasonal hiring data, the survey is still an 11 per cent increase in planned hiring from the same time in 2012, said Jeff Polkinghorne, Manpower spokesman.

The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce is tracking a similar trend, said chief executive officer Bruce Carter.

“We’re certainly seeing increased activity, really, across all sectors,” Carter said.

Commercial construction remains strong, but the housing starts still haven’t seen a post-recession turnaround, he added.

Tech manufacturing, knowledge-based service providers and the marine sectors have never been stronger in Victoria, Carter said.

“The anecdotal evidence I’m hearing is there’s a lot more U.S. cash in the local system, which would indicate there are more U.S. tourists returning, and that there’s more disposable income from those tourists.”

Last week, Statistics Canada reported 95,000 mostly full-time jobs were created during the month of May across the country, the highest single month of employment growth in more than a decade.

Over the last 12 months, the Canadian economy added about 250,000 net jobs.