NEARLY 40 per cent of employers across the nation plan to increase permanent staff numbers in the next three months, according to the latest Morgan & Banks Job Index.
Only 13.1 per cent of employers plan decreases to permanent staff, giving a quarterly net effect of 25.7 per cent.
This is the highest level of optimism forecast in the index since April 1995 and is 8.3 per cent up on the same period last year.
However, levels of optimism among WA employers was lower than the national quarterly average with a net effect of 19 per cent.
Still a positive result, levels of optimism have risen since last quarter by .8 per cent.
34.4 per cent of WA employers plan to increase permanent staff over the next three months while 15,4 per cent plan to decrease.
The WA information technology industry continues to enjoy high levels of optimism consistent with national trends.
This quarter’s net effect of 48.6 per cent is the second highest of the industries surveyed and is 11.1 per cent up on last quarter’s result.
Levels of optimism in WA’s financial services/insurance sector are very high with a net effect of 36.4 per cent.
This is, however, slightly lower than last quarter’s results but is 14.1 per cent higher than the industry result for the same quarter last year.
The resources sector is far more pessimistic this quarter than it has been for the past two years.
The outlook is down by 12.6 per cent from last quarter and is 30.7 per cent down compared to levels of 12 months ago.
