Hiring spree
expected to ease

A survey finds that 30%
of Honolulu employers plan
to hire in the first quarter,
down from the fourth quarter

The outlook for Honolulu's employment market is expected to slow slightly in the coming months, according to a poll of businesses by Manpower Inc.

While employers nationwide are growing more optimistic about hiring than they were a year ago, Honolulu employers expect to start the New Year with less hiring than in the fourth quarter, according to Manpower spokeswoman Valarie Hashimoto.

In its latest quarterly employment outlook survey, Manpower found that 30 percent of the Hawaii companies it contacted said they were inclined to hire more people between January and March. The rest said they expect to maintain current staffing levels. In the fourth quarter, 40 percent of companies intended to increase head count.

The findings are brighter than last year's forecast, when 30 percent of businesses said they planned to add workers but 7 percent intended to cut back their hiring pace, Hashimoto said.

"The economy is up on many fronts in Hawaii and there is a significant demand for jobs in construction, tourism and real estate," said Judy Bishop, manager of CTA Staffing in Honolulu.

According to the state, Hawaii's unemployment rate remained well below the national rate of 5.5 percent in October, and has remained at least 2 percentage points below the national average since April.

The creation of new jobs has resulted in a job seeker's market, Bishop said.

"There are shortages in entry-level and management positions," she said. "Job seekers can have their choice of jobs. Some companies have also started to restructure their compensation plans or offer incentives and signing bonuses to recruit applicants."

Manpower found that job opportunities in Honolulu in the coming year will be strongest in construction, services, transportation/public utilities and wholesale/retail Trade.

"What a difference a year makes. The job picture moving into 2005 is decidedly more upbeat than it was at the start of 2004," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, chairman and chief executive of Manpower.