Business

Unhappy new year for job-hunters as employers sit tight

Prospects for job-hunters in the north aren't encouraging, according to Manpower
Prospects for job-hunters in the north aren't encouraging, according to Manpower Prospects for job-hunters in the north aren't encouraging, according to Manpower

THE prospects for job-seekers in the north aren't encouraging, a business monitor is claiming.

The latest employment outlook from workforce experts Manpower claims hiring intentions have stalled as employers look to batten down the hatches in 2016.

And the study has found that Northern Ireland’s jobs outlook, after a bright start to this year, is now the lowest in the UK, with only companies in the call centre and customer service sectors likely to take on big numbers next year.

The Manpower survey, which is used as a key economic statistic by both the Bank of England and the UK government, is based on responses from more than 2,000 employers and asks whether they intend to hire additional workers or reduce the size of their workforce in the coming quarter.

“The positive momentum we saw in Northern Ireland in the last quarter has hit a bump in the road on the cusp of 2016,” says Amanda White, operations manager at Manpower UK.

“We have seen some of the big names in the manufacturing sector, like Caterpillar, Schrader Electronics and Michelin, announcing what amounts to over a thousand job losses in recent weeks, and this has added to an unhappy new year for the region's jobs market.

"With the Enterprise Minister recently creating a taskforce to report on the challenges in the manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland, we hope that this will have a positive impact on the outlook in future quarters.”

But Ms White insists there are some bright spots across the region generating a lot of recruitment activity.

"There is a burgeoning market of employers hiring for customer service and contact centre roles, especially in Belfast, which benefits from an available pool of workers, some with in-demand language skills.

"But opportunities outside the city tend to be more difficult to recruit for and employers are having to cast their nets wider and offer relocation packages to attract suitable candidates from the Republic."

She added: "Interestingly, the first quarter of 2015 also began with an outlook of -2 per cent and the picture improved as the year went on. So we are hopeful that the positives will contribute to an upwards trajectory as 2016 progresses.”