Survey: CNY employers plan to hire in new year

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Dec 01, 2000 by Allen, Paul

SYRACUSE - Employment opportunities should be plentiful in Central New York in the first quarter of 2001, according to an employment-outlook survey conducted by Manpower, a global staffing service.

Twenty-five percent of employers surveyed in New York State said they are-going to increase the size of their work force during the first quarter of 2001, but in certain areas of Central New York, the number of employers that plan to hire in the millennium's first quarter is significantly higher than the state norm. According to the survey, the hiring hotspot for the state will be Binghamton, where 53 percent of employers surveyed said they are going to be doing more hiring. The Syracuse metro area and greater Utica were close behind, with 37 percent of employers looking to hire more people.

Statewide, in addition to the 25 percent of employers that said they expect to hire more workers in the

first quarter, 10 percent said they expect to decrease their staff, 59 percent expect no change, and 6 percent are unsure.

Nationally, 27 percent plan further hiring, 10 percent expect staffing decreases 58 percent anticipate no change, and percent are uncertain.

Sandra Sullivan, Manpower area manager for Central New York, says that usually the hiring demand decreases markedly from the fourth quarter to the first quarter, but this year there is only a slight dip. "Three months ago, 40 percent of employers in the Syracuse metro area anticipated work-force additions, and going -into the first quarter of 2001, 37 percent of those employers are still looking to hire. These are very strong numbers going into 2001."

The continued high demand for workers, says Sullivan, marks a distinct change in hiring philosophy throughout all industries in Central New York. "We're seeing a different recruiting and retention strategy. Employers are looking for year-round retention rather than ramp-up, short-term, supplemental staffing. We're seeing that change in all business sectors - construction, manufacturing, service, education all businesses are putting more emphasis on finding good workers, training them, and keeping them."

The Manpower survey is conducted on a quarterly basis and is based on telephone interviews with approximately 16,000 public and private employers in 489 United States markets.

Roger Evans, principal economist with the New York State Department of Labor, says that he supports Manpower's survey results. "I certainly do agree that we have a very promising outlook for 2001. We had record job growth this year. Basically, 2000 was a year where we saw growth in every industry," Evans says.

The most recent work-force development statistics, through October 2000, show that the Syracuse metro area (Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, and Madison counties) is up 8,600 jobs for the year compared to last year. And, surprisingly, every sector is up, Evans says. Construction jobs are up 1,400, factory jobs up 200, transportation jobs up 400, trade jobs are up 2,200, positions in finance are up 300, government jobs have increased by 500, and jobs in the service sector are up 3,600.

"I expect very strong hiring in the first quarter of 2001, and throughout the entire upcoming year for that matter," Evans concludes.