World employers optimistic for Q4

A survey released by recruitment company Manpower on Tuesday shows that employers plan to hire new employees in the fourth quarter of 2005 at around the same rate they hired at the same time in 2004.

The report shows, however, that employers are somewhat less optimistic about their hiring plans than they were when surveyed three months ago, showing the effect of rising oil prices on the hiring outlook.

The majority of employers in 20 of the 23 countries surveyed plan on hiring more workers in the fourth quarter, and worldwide 13 percent more companies plan to hire during the last quarter than plan to reduce their workforces.

In June, 16 percent more companies worldwide planned to hire than to fire, but the 13 percent figures is the same as a survey taken the same time last year.

Out of all the regions surveyed, India remained the most optimistic with 40 percent more firms expecting to add employees than to cut them. On the other hand, only 5 percent more companies expect to hire than to fire.

In the US and Canada, 20 percent more firms expected to add employees than expected to let employees go.

For their report, Manpower surveyed 45,000 companies in 23 nations. One caveat to the numbers is that the survey was completed before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States.

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