Manpower Expects Growth in Employment in Second Quarter
The employment market barometer Manpower is announcing a positive employment outlook for the second quarter of 2015. The lifting of the minimum exchange rate made hardly any impact on the Swiss employment market.
The Manpower Group publishes quarterly employment market reports which investigate the employment prospects in companies based on their expected growth or decrease in personnel during the next quarter. In January 2015, 750 Swiss employers were asked about the developments in their numbers of personnel.
Positive Employment Growth
Out of these 750 surveyed employers, 11% expect growth in personnel, while 5% expect a decrease and 82% expect no change. This corresponds to a seasonally adjusted net employment prognosis of +4%, which is 6 percentage points higher than in the first quarter and remains unchanged compared to the previous year.
The highest growth in employment is expected in central Swiss companies (+18%). Close behind is mid-Switzerland which expects an increase of +17%. Employers in Ticino and the Lake Geneva region expect decreases of -10% and -5% respectively.
If one looks at these labour market results according to sector, the construction sector, public services sector and social services emerge at the fore with an increase of 18% in workforce numbers expected in each. The agriculture and forestry sector is expecting its lowest result (-16%) since the survey began in Switzerland.
Large firms are planning the most new hires (+14%), lagging far behind are micro- and medium-sized enterprises with +4% and +3% respectively. Small enterprises are expecting a decrease of -1%.
Despite the optimistic estimates of companies, Patrick Maier from Manpower Switzerland explains that it is difficult to determine how negative the impact of further exchange rate changes to the Swiss Franc will be on the economy and companies. The implementation of the mass immigration initiative and the forthcoming company tax reform III will also have effects on the Swiss labour market.
The complete labour market barometer study of over 42 countries, including Switzerland, is available from the Manpower Group website.
