Britain’s Manufacturing sector looks set to continue its cautious revival throughout the final
months of the year, according to a survey by Manpower, the UK’s leading employment experts.
Manpower’s Employment Outlook Survey, a quarterly study of employer hiring intentions, found that
the majority of Manufacturing employers (77%) expect to keep their current staff levels until the
end of the year. Encouragingly, a further 16% in the Manufacturing sector intend to increase
headcount over the same period, while just 6% expect to decrease workforce numbers.
Ruth Harper, head of public affairs at Manpower UK, said: "UK manufacturing exports are up, and
much of this is thanks to niche manufacturers selling to the EU. In Wales for example, the
smaller, more specialised companies are helping keep the local labour market afloat.
"The UK is still seeing a net loss of jobs in larger manufacturing, but new flexible working
schemes are beginning to make British factories more competitive; large manufacturers often
benefit from knock-on uplift thanks to the strong performance of their smaller rivals.
Manpower branches report that niche manufacturing companies are thriving in East Anglia, the
East Midlands and even in Greater London."
While employers in the Manufacturing sector report buoyant hiring intentions, Manpower’s survey
found that the strongest industry sector this quarter is Finance and Business Services, where an
average 23% of employers expect to hire more staff before January. Strong hiring activity is
also expected by employers in the Mining (21%), Utilities (17%) and Transport (16%) sectors.
-Ends-
NOTES TO EDITORS
¹A 'Net Employment Outlook' is calculated by subtracting those employers who plan to reduce
staffing levels from those who plan to hire staff. A positive result indicates that more
employers plan to increase rather than decrease staffing levels; a negative result reflects
the opposite. [% increase (19%) - % decrease (4%) = 15%]
²In terms of Net Employment Outlook without seasonal adjustment
For international comparisons and visual library with graphs, visit
www.manpower.com.
About the Survey
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is conducted quarterly to measure employers' intentions
to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter.
It is the only forward-looking survey of its kind, unparalleled in its size, scope, longevity
and area of focus. The survey has been running for more than 40 years and is one of the most
trusted surveys of employment activity in the world. The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is
based on interviews with nearly 50,000 public and private employers worldwide and is considered
a highly respected economic indicator.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is currently available for 26 countries and territories:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The program began in the
United States and Canada in 1962, and the United Kingdom was added in 1966. Mexico and Ireland
launched the survey in 2002, and 13 additional countries were added to the program in 2003. New
Zealand joined the program in 2004; China, India, Switzerland and Taiwan were added in 2005; and
Peru and Costa Rica joined in 2006. For more information, visit the Manpower Inc. web site at
www.manpower.com and
enter the Research Centre
About Manpower
Manpower is one of the largest and most innovative companies in the UK’s employment services industry;
creating and delivering services that enable its clients to win in the changing world of work. The
company provides a wide range of services including permanent, temporary and contract recruitment,
employee assessment and selection, training, outplacement, outsourcing and consulting.
Manpower was established in the UK in 1956, and today works with organisations in both the public and
private sectors, ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises, to multi-national organisations such
as BMW, BT, Hertfordshire County Council, IBM, Royal Mail and Xerox.
The focus of Manpower’s work is on raising productivity through improved quality, efficiency and
cost-reduction, enabling customers to concentrate on their core business. Manpower works across
all industries finding people for every level of an organisation.
