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Survey paints a rosier picture for jobseekers

Associated Press
March 16, 2004

MILWAUKEE -- People looking for work this spring could find the strongest U.S. job market in more than three years, even as companies remain reluctant to hire, a new survey shows.

Roughly one in four employers plans to add workers in the second quarter to keep pace with increased demand for products or services, according to a survey of 16,000 businesses by Manpower Inc. to be released today.

"Someone looking for a job no doubt will have an easier time now than in recent memory," said Jeffrey Joerres, Manpower's chief executive officer and chairman. "It's still going to be difficult in that companies are going to begin this process very cautiously."

Substantial job growth will come if companies fulfill their hiring projections, he said.

The survey found 28 percent of companies expect to hire more people in the second quarter, while 6 percent intend to cut jobs. The rest anticipate no change or are uncertain about hiring prospects from April to May.

The second-quarter results, when seasonally adjusted, are the strongest since the first quarter of 2001, soon after the economy officially entered a recession, according to Manpower, a Glendale, Wis.-based staffing company.

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