Prospects look good for distribution
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MI Despite the gloom, there is finally a glimmer of hope on the transport industry's jobs front. But, according to the latest Manpower quarterly survey, far fewer hauliers than last year are optimistic about employment prospects.
Slightly more operators plan to take on staff in the final quarter of 1990 than to shed them; the figures are 15% and 13% respectively — 68% expect levels to hold steady.
„This compares with 25% in the same period last year who planned to recruit staff, and 11% who anticipated getting rid of workers; 62% expected staff figures to remain static.
'This autumn's statistics give what Manpower calls a balance of increases over decreases of +2; in 1989, it was +14. When the figure goes negative it indicates that the industry is in recession.
Prospects in distribution are much better. Manpower defines distribution as the carriage of manufactured goods, and transport as the haulage of raw materials. For the purposes of its survey, no companies appear in both sectors.
In distribution, the same number as this time last year (29%) expect to take on staff, but 5% expect to shed staff; last September's figure was 10%. And 63% say levels will be the same, compared with 61% last year.
This means distribution's balance of increases over decreases is a much more healthy +24; better than 1989's +19. The national balance across all industries according to Manpower, is +13.
Transport and distribution are two of 20 sectors the recruitment specialist includes in its survey. Among others featured are light engineering, vehicle manufacturing, hotels and insurance. It talks to 1,500 companies.
Across all industries, 23% expect new job openings and 65% say employment prospects will stay the same. "Distribution is a sector showing a more positive attitude to future recruitment prospects than most, which is encouraging for people looking for jobs," says Manpower.