More local firms planning to hire

EVERETT – One in three Snohomish County employers expects to expand its payroll during the first three months of the new year, according to a survey by the Manpower employment agency.

About 33 percent of the companies interviewed expected to hire workers, 54 percent planned to keep the same staffing level and 13 percent planned to cut back.

The trend is better than the previous three months, when 23 percent of companies interviewed expected to hire more workers. It also bucks the national trend, which fell to 23 percent of employers who planned to hire.

Nationally, 61 expect no change and 10 percent plan to cut back.

“The Everett-Lynnwood area employment outlook is stronger than the fourth-quarter forecast, when 23 percent of the companies interviewed predicted an increase in hiring activity and 20 percent planned to decrease the hiring pace,” said Manpower’s Jill Olinger.

Manpower said the survey extends a two-year period of steady hiring projections.

“For eight quarters now, we’ve seen a level of hiring intentions that has not been repeated in the 40-plus years of the survey,” Manpower CEO Jeffrey Joerres said of the survey, which began in 1962.

“I think we’re in a somewhat unique period where companies feel a demand for their products and services. It’s not euphoric, but it’s there. They are constantly in the market, surgically hiring to increase the payrolls of their companies to keep up with the steady demand.”

Construction firms were the most upbeat about hiring in 27 years, with 25 percent of firms expecting to increase staffing and 12 percent expecting to reduce it, according to the survey.

The survey was most optimistic in the Western states.

Job prospects were strong here, especially in manufacturing, retail trade, finance and insurance.