Hiring in Lawrence this fall will be slightly slower than across the state as a whole, according to a new survey.
Still, Lawrence-area employers are upbeat about their fall staffing plans, according to the latest Employment Outlook Survey being released today by Manpower Inc.
"Of those companies responding to our four-quarter hiring survey, 27 percent say they will boost personnel levels this fall, 7 percent intend to trim employment rolls and 66 percent expect no changes," said Nancy Slabaugh of Manpower Temporary Services in Lawrence.
Milwaukee-based Manpower's survey found that outlook -- for a net increase of 20 percent -- to be about the same as a year ago, when 26 percent of Lawrence employers planned to increase the size of their payrolls against 3 percent who anticipated cutbacks.
Statewide this fall, 30 percent of employers are planning to increase hiring while 9 percent expect to trim staff for a net increase of 21 percent.
Manpower said Lawrence job prospects appear best this fall in durable goods manufacturing, wholesale/retail trade and finance/insurance/real estate. Non-durable goods manufacturers were divided about their year-end work force needs.
Nationally, the survey showed 30 percent of 16,000 employers in 489 cities interviewed planned to add new employees while 8 percent anticipate reductions.
Manpower's survey, a highly regarded indicator of economic growth, comes at a time when unemployment is at 3.9 percent in Lawrence. With so few people out of work, employers have had a difficult time filling positions, putting a crimp on economic growth.
-- Mark Fagan's phone message number is 832-7188. His e-mail address is mfagan@ljworld.com.
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