WA leads country in employment growth

WA is leading the country in employment growth with +35 per cent of employers forecasting positive changes to staffing levels in the January to March quarter of 2006.

Over 3000 employers across Australia were asked about their employment plans; 26 per cent expected staff levels to rise and six per cent expected them to decline resulting in a net employment outlook of +20 per cent.

This is up three percentage points from the same quarter last year.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, released today, said WA had the most positive employment prospects for the fourth consecutive quarter, spurred on by the strong mining and engineering sectors.
Healthy predictions are also reported by employers in Tasmania (+27 per cent), Queensland (+26 per cent), South Australia (+24 per cent), and New South Wales (+22 per cent).
Victoria and the Northern Territory lagged behind with +6 per cent and +12 per cent respectively.
Manpower Australia and NZ managing director Varina Nissen said positive hiring expectations for the first quarter of 2006 were reported by employers in every industry sector.
"There is considerable variation between sectors," she said. "In the transport and utilities sector, for example, employers are reporting an increase of nine per cent from the previous quarter and it is up 11 per cent from the same period in 2005.
"The mining and construction industries continue at strength, and services sector at 27 per cent is the highest outlook recorded for this sector since the inception of the survey."
Activity in the manufacturing industry sector is positive, however it continues its overall downward trend. Employers forecast of jobs growth is down on 2005 by six per cent year-over-year. Employers in the wholesale and retail trade sectors are also not predicting much by way of hiring activity, with an outlook of +14 percent, down two per cent from last year.