Honolulu employers plan to hire more in ’08

The Honolulu-area job market is looking positive for the first quarter of 2008, with employers expecting to hire at a healthy pace, according to a survey released today by Manpower Inc.

A total of 23 percent, or nearly a quarter, of the companies interviewed for the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, plan to hire more employees from January to March of next year, while none expect to reduce their payrolls.

Another 64 percent expect to maintain their current staff levels while 13 percent are uncertain of their hiring plans.

Manpower spokesperson Sunny Ackerman said compared to the fourth quarter, Honolulu-area employers appear to be increasing hiring levels. In the fourth quarter, 20 percent of companies surveyed intended to hire more employees, and 3 percent intended to reduce staff levels.

Job prospects for the coming quarter appear best in construction, non-durable goods manufacturing, transportation/public utilities, wholesale/retail trade, and services and public administration.

Hiring in durable-goods manufacturing, finance/insurance/real estate and education is expected to remain unchanged.

Honolulu's outlook is more rosy than nationwide statistics. Of the 14,000 U.S. employees that Manpower surveyed, only 22 percent expect to add to their payrolls during the first quarter of next year, while 60 percent expect no change, 12 percent expect to reduce staff levels and 6 percent are undecided in the first quarter of 2008.

The number of Honolulu businesses surveyed and the margin of error was unavailable.