If you plan to look for a job in the new year, finding one may be a challenge in Windsor-Essex.
The latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey says 10 per cent of employers it surveyed said they planned to hire new staff in the first quarter of 2019, but seven per cent anticipated cutbacks.
"Another 83 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the upcoming quarter," said Tara Benson with Manpower Group.
The group calls Windsor's hiring climate for the first three months of next year "reserved."
Across the country, ManpowerGroup calls job prospects "favourable". It anticipates slow but steady gains in employment of about 12 per cent in the first quarter, a two percentage point decrease compared with the final three months of 2018.
The survey of over 1,900 employers across Canada suggests 14 per cent plan to hire, and six per cent expect to cut positions. 79 per cent expect to keep their staffing levels the same.
The Transportation and Public Utilities sector anticipates the strong growth at 21 per cent. A 20 per cent increase is expected in manufacturing - durables, and an 18 per cent jump in construction.
Large and medium-sized organizations expect to hire the most while hiring at smaller employers will be more moderate.
Across the country, Statistics Canada's latest Labour Force Survey said unemployment is at its lowest level since it started collecting comparable data in 1976. It was 5.6 per cent in November. However, ManpowerGroup says job growth slowed in the last quarter of this year.
"Employers are having difficulty finding qualified candidates to fill open jobs, which in turn, is driving up wages but companies are also trying to do more with less to stay competitive," said Darlene Minatel, country manager for ManpowerGroup Canada. "Employers are being asked to do more work with less pay and an increasing number of employers are investing in automation to perform labour-intensive functions."
