Survey: Spring quarter looks good for state's job picture

Springtime should bring welcome growth in our yards and gardens — and in the state’s job prospects. A survey of Nebraska employers finds an improving job picture for the upcoming quarter. Mike Lynch, spokesman for Manpower Incorporated, says April, May and June look promising, especially in Nebraska’s largest cities.
In the Omaha/Council Bluffs area, 11-percent of employers surveyed plan to increase staff while eight-percent plan cuts. Lynch calls Lincoln the “shining star of the Midwest” as 22-percent of employers plan to add to their staffs while 13-percent expect a decrease.
Lynch says there’s a pattern much of the state is following. “Job prospects look best in the manufacturing sector, transportation and utilities, information and financial services,” Lynch says. “Really wholesale/retail and education and health and government entities are the only ones expressing their intentions to decrease staff.”
Lynch says the state, region and nation are all on a similar footing as the nation recovers from the recession. “Overall, the entire Midwest is looking relatively good and employers are expressing some optimism towards hiring,” Lynch says. There’s a much lower percentage of employers who say they don’t know what their immediate hiring prospects will be, which Lynch says is “a positive sign that people are having a better handle on what their future is likely to be.”
The national outlook for the upcoming quarter shows 16-percent of employers planning to add to their staffs, while about eight-percent plan reductions. Learn more at: www.manpower.com