Job seekers in the Red Deer area can expect a mild or conservative hiring climate for the next few months according to a new survey.
That compares to moderate expectations for Calgary and upbeat for Edmonton, said Randy Upright, CEO of Manpower’s Alberta Region, on Tuesday.
ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey showed 10 per cent of employers in the Red Deer area plan to hire for the upcoming quarter (April to June) while five per cent anticipate cutbacks. Another 80 per cent plan to maintain current staffing levels and five per cent are unsure of their hiring plans.
“Outlook has shown for Red Deer employment of eight per cent, … , a two percentage point decrease compared to the first quarter of this year at 10 per cent. It’s also a decrease of about six percentage points when compared to the same time we looked at in 2017.”
It’s not the kind of numbers the Red Deer area used to see during boom times, he said.
“Job seekers need to continue to diversify their skills. Be prepared for the always changing job market.”
Hiring expectations for Calgary are the same as Red Deer at eight percentage points, but for Calgary it’s a three per cent increase compared to the previous quarter and three per cent increase from the year before, he said.
“I wouldn’t say (Red Deer) is doing worse. We continue to see we’re on a slow and steady climb. We have had historically much higher levels of hiring anticipation than this.”
The forecast for Edmonton is 15 percentage points, up one per cent from the previous quarter and an eight per cent increase from a year ago.
“It’s quite good news in the Edmonton area. There’s a lot of business activity.”
Across Canada steady gains are expected in the second quarter for job seekers. Canada saw a net loss of jobs in January, but prospects for the upcoming quarter remain strong led by exceptionally strong growth in Quebec where employers are hiring across multiple sectors.