Employers search for construction sector on hire alert

Employers in construction have reported the strongest hiring intentions out of all UK sectors surveyed.

Recruitment agency Manpower's employment outlook survey, published today (Wednesday) provides a forecast of employer hiring intentions for the quarter ahead:  January to March 2004.

Some 2,500 employers were surveyed in the UK and over 35,000 employers in 18 countries globally. The Net Employment Outlook (the balance of employers forecasting to take on more staff) for the construction sector is +15%.

Andrew Blakesley director of Manpower said: " Job prospects in the construction sector are higher than the first quarter average for
construction over the last 12 years. Despite our survey showing that the balance of employers planning to take on more staff has fallen both since this time last quarter and this time last year, prospects are still buoyant for those people wishing to find work in this sector in the first three months of the year.

"Only 5% of employers in the construction sector are planning to decrease staff in the first quarter, which accounts for the
optimistic Net Employment Outlook result for this quarter."

People wishing to find work in this sector are to take advantage of the growing need that appears to be developing.

Blakesley added: "Reports show that 380,000 people are needed in the construction industry by 2006 to help drive the growth the sector is experiencing. Our survey confirms these reports."

Across the other industry sectors, the hotels and retail sector reported a positive outlook of +8%, which is markedly above the Q1 average of -5% for the last 12 years.

Transport and communications reported a buoyant forecast for the first three months of the year with an outlook of +13%.  Across the
other industry sector surveyed, employers in agriculture were the only sector where more predicted to reduce more staffing levels than take on more staff for the first three months of the New Year.

The manufacturing sector continues to perform poorly with an outlook of +3%, which represents a year-on-year fall of 10 percentage points.