Positive outlook for the public sector

Employers in the public sector are becoming more positive in their hiring intentions, according to Manpower, the UKís leading workforce management company.



The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey shows that the balance of employers looking to take on more staff in the public sector is 15%, compared to 11% in the first quarter of 2005.

Chris Cox, Business Manager at Manpower Victoria, which recruits solely for the public sector, said: This Confidence is high in the public sector, which is particularly encourgaging given the recent job cuts in central government. At Manpower weíre continuing to see a strong demand for workers to fill all public sector positions at all levels.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey provides a forecast of employer hiring intentions for the quarter ahead. 2,500 employers were surveyed in the UK, and more than 35,000 in 21 countries globally.

Chris Cox said: The NHS is currently the third most popular employer of choice for young graduates. Similarly, the civil service, and also local government, remains a highly respected career choice. This means that currently the public sector is getting a very high calibre of candidate right now.

Across the UK, eight of the nine industry sectors surveyed by Manpower are planning to take on staff next quarter. Employers in Construction at 22% (up five percentage points year on year); Transport and Communications at 18% (up 16 percentage points year on year); Community and Social at 16% (down four percentage points year on year), all reported figures above the national average. The Utilities sector is the only sector to expect cutbacks, with a Net Employment Outlook of -3%
- a decline of 14 percentage points over the last year.

Employers in all twelve regions surveyed intend to take on more staff in the quarter ahead. Employers in Scotland are the most optimistic, with 29% looking to expand their workforce - an increase of five percentage points over the year. Conversely, employers in East Anglia, London and the South West are the least optimistic reporting Net Employment Outlooks below the national average.