Manpower Survey: Positive Hiring Intentions Persist Among U.S. Employers for Third Quarter

Largest percentage of surveyed employers since Q4 2008 plan to add staff

MILWAUKEE (June 14, 2011) – Positive yet careful hiring intentions are expected to persist in the U.S. throughout the summer, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today by ManpowerGroup. According to the seasonally adjusted survey results, the Net Employment Outlook for Quarter 3 2011 is +8%, up from +6% during the same period last year and consistent with the +8% Outlook during Quarter 2 2011. Although positive, the Outlook of +8% is softer than the mostly double-digit Outlooks reported during previous decades.

This quarter’s survey indicates the following trends:

· 2011 Gains Holding Steady: Since the first quarter of 2011, when the Net Employment Outlook jumped to +8% from +5% the previous quarter, hiring expectations have remained consistent.

· Positive Hiring Intentions Across U.S.: Employers in all 50 states report positive hiring intentions and 42 out of 50 states anticipate considerable increases in the typically strong third quarter. Of the 100 Metropolitan Statistical Areas surveyed, 99 percent report positive employment Outlooks.

· Seven Straight Quarters of Employment Growth: Since Quarter 1 2010, employers have reported a positive overall hiring Outlook in each survey, according to seasonally adjusted data.

· Many Sectors Gaining Momentum: Employers in nine of 13 industries surveyed nationally report the strongest overall Outlook within their sectors since Quarter 1 2009.

“Although employers are not signaling dramatic upswings in hiring plans, there does seem to be hiring energy developing based on sustained year-over-year growth,” said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup president of the Americas. “This is also the eleventh consecutive quarter with a single-digit Net Employment Outlook, indicating a level of caution not seen among employers in the last 30 years of data. This fact, along with many clouds still on the economic horizon, may explain the tepid labor market growth we have seen so far.”

Of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed, 20 percent anticipate an increase in staff levels in their Quarter 3 2011 hiring plans, while 8 percent expect a decrease in payrolls, resulting in a Net Employment Outlook of +12%. When seasonally adjusted, the Net Employment Outlook becomes +8%. Sixty-nine percent of employers expect no change in their hiring plans. The final 3 percent of employers indicate they are undecided about their hiring intentions.

“Our data shows that one in five employers plan to add staff in the next three months, the highest ratio we’ve seen since the recovery started,” said Prising. “As more employers shift to hiring mode, we are starting to see talented job seekers receive multiple employment offers, and also negotiate for higher salaries. As hiring momentum slowly builds, the talent supply and demand challenges of the Human Age will impact hiring trends. Employers may want to hire, but they will struggle to find the right person, in the right place, which will bring a level of urgency to developing new recruiting and training strategies.”

Hiring Outlooks for Industry Sectors and Regions
Employers in 11 of the 13 industry sectors surveyed have a positive Outlook for Quarter 3 2011:

Leisure & Hospitality (+27%), Mining (+25%), Wholesale & Retail Trade (+20%), Professional & Business Services (+19%), Durable Goods Manufacturing (+17%), Nondurable Goods Manufacturing (+16%), Transportation & Utilities (+14%), Construction (+11%), Information (+11), Financial Activities (+11%) and Other Services (+7%).

Employers in two industry sectors have a slightly negative Outlook: Government (-1%) and Education & Health Services (-2%).

Employers in 10 industry sectors expect prospects to increase quarter-over-quarter, with employers in Wholesale & Retail Trade anticipating the largest increase quarter-over-quarter, with a gain of eight percentage points. Employers in the Other Services industry sector look to keep staff levels stable compared to three months ago at this time, while Government employers expect the hiring pace to slightly decrease and Educational Health Services employers anticipate a moderate decrease.

Employers in all four U.S. geographic regions surveyed anticipate a positive seasonally adjusted Outlook. The third quarter 2011 hiring Outlook is brightest in the Northeast, where a slight increase in hiring plans is expected compared to the second quarter of 2011 and to one year ago at this time. Compared to one year ago, a slight increase in employment prospects is also expected in the Midwest, South and West, although the three regions are all relatively stable quarter-over-quarter.

Pennsylvania’s jobless rate falls to 7.5 percent for April!

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate fell to 7.5 percent in April,as both employment among residents and the number of jobs added by employers increased, the state said today

The unemployment rate, adjusted for seasonal hiring factors, fell from 7.8 percent in March, and was 1.3 percent below the April 2010 jobless rate, the state said. It was the largest year-over-year decline since June 1987.

A separate survey of employers showed they added 23,700 more jobs, adjusted for seasonal factors, in April than in March, as the employer job count rose to 5.69 million. The number of jobs in the state was up 80,000 from a year ago

Read more: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_737948.html

Casting Call for "STILL I RISE", A Movie To Be Shot In Pittsburgh!

We received a request from the casting company for those interested in being an "extra":

Hi, Burghworks;

I'm currently working as an extras casting director on STILL I RISE, a major motion picture starring Maggie Gyllenhaal that will be shot in the Pittsburgh area from May 23rd to July. This movie centers on two mothers who join forces to reform a failing public school in their neighborhood.

This movie is set in Pittsburgh, and will include several scenes shot in schools. I'm currently hiring kids grades K-6 to appear as extras in these scenes, many of which will include the leads and offer great screen time.

In addition to the children's roles, we have a ton of short term opportunities available for adults. All of these positions are paid.

I've included a flyer with the basic information, and I'm hoping you can help us get the word out. We need to get the kids on board as soon as we can because the PA Dept of Labor & Industry requires work permits for them; they're simple to get but it's a several step process. We want to get as many kids ready to go before shooting begins on May 23rd as possible.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you. I'm happy to meet with groups of people for Q & A sessions, and answer e-mails 24 hours a day, fourthrivercasting@yahoo.com.

Thanks so much, and glad to be able to keep the film industry in Pittsburgh thriving.

Click on the above image to expand and print

 

U.S. Economy Adds 244,000 Jobs in April!

By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The U.S. economy gained 244,000 jobs in April, the biggest increase in almost a year, but the nation’s unemployment rate rose to 9.0%, according to government data.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had predicted a net gain of 175,000. Most had expected job gains to slow from March’s revised increase of 221,000 because of weaker growth in the first quarter and a slew of data that seemed to suggest a slowdown in hiring.

Payrolls for February and March were also revised up by a combined 46,000, the Labor Department reported Friday.

The payroll data are derived from a survey of about 400,000 business establishments.
“It’s a good report. The payroll numbers are solid,” said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpont Securities. “I think the economy is starting to gain traction.”

In recent trading, U.S. stocks soared. The Dow Jones industrial average (DOW:DJIA) jumped more than 130 points following Thursday’s selloff.

Private sector gains

Hiring in the private sector posted the largest increase in five years, with the biggest gain occurring in the retail sector. Retailers hired 57,000 workers last month.
Professional and business services created 51,000 jobs, the leisure and hospitality sector added 46,000 positions and health-care companies hired 37,000 employees. The surging manufacturing sector also increased employment by 29,000.

The biggest decline took place in government, continuing a recent trend, as public-sector jobs fell by 24,000.

Average hourly earnings, meanwhile rose a scant 0.1% to $22.95, while the average workweek was unchanged.

Meager increases in wages are a thorn in the side of the U.S. recovery, especially in light of soaring oil prices and higher food costs. Workers have to spend more on basic necessities, leaving less demand for other goods and services.

Growth in the U.S. economy is likely to be constrained unless wages rise or the price of fuel and food decline, economists say.

Read more here: http://www.marketwatch.com/Story/story/print?guid=4C0F5376-77D6-11E0-B3F3-00212804637C

Pittsburgh Metro Unemployment Rate Drops to 6.8% in March

HARRISBURG (APRIL 26) – In March, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) fell two-tenths of a percentage point to 6.8 percent, the lowest unemployment rate since March 2009.

The local rate was below the Pennsylvania rate (7.8%) and the United States rate (8.8%). The Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate was down 1.5 percentage points from March 2010, while Pennsylvania’s rate was down one percentage point and the national rate fell by nine-tenths of a percentage point over the same period.

Among the commonwealth’s 14 MSAs, the Pittsburgh MSA had the 5th lowest unemployment rate. Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.5%) had the lowest rate and Fayette County (8.8%) had the highest rate. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 5.1 percent in Bradford County to 13.3 percent in Cameron County.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA fell 300 in March to 1,133,900. March was the first month to show a decline since September 2010. Pennsylvania jobs were down 1,700 in March to 5,670,100. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 16,600 (1.5%) from March 2010, while Pennsylvania jobs rose 76,500 (1.4%) from the previous year’s level.

DEDICATION CEREMONY AND “OPEN HOUSE” SET FOR APRIL 20 AT GOODWILL’S NEW LAWRENCEVILLE FACILITY

PITTSBURGH, Pa., April 13, 2011 – Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania will dedicate its new Workforce Development Center (WDC) in Lawrenceville on Wednesday, April 20, during a community open house at the facility located at 118 52^nd Street. The public is invited to tour the WDC between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and to attend the dedication ceremony at 11 a.m.

Goodwill moved virtually all of its employment, training, education, recycling, and social services programs to the new building in December. Over 200 people work at thetwo-floor WDC, including program managers, teachers, instructors and job coaches. They serve hundreds of Goodwill clients who visit the facility on weekdays to attend classes and participate in various training and employment programs.

“We invite our new Lawrenceville neighbors and everyone else to come and see why Goodwill is so much more than thrift stores,” said Michael J. Smith, Goodwill President/ CEO. “Goodwill staff will be on hand at nearly 20 stations throughout the building to explain our many services and programs, including employment training, job search assistance, adult education classes, computer recycling, our Good-to-Go Café, and many more.”

Goodwill officials and community representatives will participate in the dedication ceremony and officially name the WDC as the Robert S. Foltz Building in honor of the long-time President of Goodwill Pittsburgh who retired in 2002.  Goodwill’s former headquarters building on the South Side also was named for Mr. Foltz.

Participating in the ceremony will be James C. Roddey, Honorary Co-Chairman of the Goodwill Renews! Capital Campaign; State Senator Jim Ferlo; State Representative Adam Ravenstahl; Gary R. Claus, Immediate Past Chairman of the Goodwill Board of Directors; and Mr. Smith.

As part of the re-dedication ceremony, James D. Scalo, President of Burns & Scalo Real Estate Services, Inc., will award the Goodwill WDC as the first-ever Class-G®certified project. Burns & Scalo, which constructed the WDC, founded the Class-G® program and have since spun-off this certification program into a stand-alone organization (Class-G.org).  The WDC plaque presentation marks the official national launch of this new green building certification, which recognizes property owners and their occupants for their “green” and sustainable practices. 

Mr. Scalo said the Goodwill WDC earned the Class-G® designation because of its re-use and upgrading of an existing building, formerly a warehouse; its innovative water-use and lighting features; several ADA-compliant design features that exceed code requirements; and its contribution to revitalizing the historic Lawrenceville neighborhood.

Reservations are not required to attend the open house. The Goodwill WDC is located between Butler Street and the Allegheny River at 118 52^nd Street.

Pittsburgh Area Unemployment Rate Dips To 7% In February

HARRISBURG (APRIL 5) – In February, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was down two-tenths of a percentage point to 7.0 percent.

This was the third consecutive monthly decline. The Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate was below the Pennsylvania rate (8.0%) and the United States rate (8.9%). February marked the 37th straight month that the Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate has been below both the Pennsylvania and national rates. The Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate was down 1.5 percentage points from February 2010, while the Pennsylvania and national rates were both down 0.8 percentage points over the same period.

Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.6%) had the lowest rate and Fayette County (9.3%) had the highest rate. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 5.1 percent in Bradford County to 12.9 percent in Cameron County.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose for the fifth consecutive month, up 1,700 in February to 1,134,000. Pennsylvania jobs were up 23,700 in February to 5,674,100. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 23,300 (2.1%) from February 2010, and Pennsylvania jobs were up 106,800 (1.9%) from February 2010.

Goods-producing jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were down 2,500 to 136,100 in February. Declines were split between construction (-1,100) and manufacturing (-1,400), while mining and logging remained unchanged. Pittsburgh MSA goods-producing jobs were up 4,200 over the year, with all three goods-producing supersectors showing increases of at least 900 jobs since February 2010.

Service-providing jobs rose 3,400 in February to 976,000. Trade, transportation and utilities showed a decline of 2,900 jobs with retail trade down 2,400 as stores continued to eliminate seasonal retail jobs. Education and health services rose 2,300 in February as educational institutions returned from semester break. Similarly, state and local government also showed education-related increases, up 2,000, and 1,400 respectively.

In the Pittsburgh MSA, seven out of eight service-providing supersectors have shown over-the-year gains. Education and health services (+5,800), leisure and hospitality (+4,500) and professional and business services (+4,200) have shown the greatest over-the-year increases. Information was the only supersector in the Pittsburgh MSA which showed an over-the-year decline, down 700 jobs since February 2010.