(Cornwall, ON, March 9, 2021) – According to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, Cornwall area employers expect a subdued hiring climate for the second quarter of 2021.

Survey data reveals that 9% of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter while 4% anticipate cutbacks,” stated Veronica Hariski of Manpower’s Ottawa office. “The remaining 87% of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the upcoming quarter.”

“With seasonal variations removed from the data, Cornwall’s second-quarter Net Employment Outlook of +5% is a 16-percentage point decrease compared to the previous quarterly Outlook, and a six percentage point increase from the Outlook reported during the same time last year,” said Hariski. “This indicates a limited hiring pace for the upcoming months.”

“An ongoing moderate hiring Outlook for employers in the second quarter of 2021, in light of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, can be interpreted as a positive trajectory,” said Darlene Minatel, Country Manager of ManpowerGroup Canada. “With all ten industry sectors expecting to hire in the upcoming quarter, there will be opportunities for job seekers. All four regions of the country have positive employment Outlooks for the second quarter of 2021 but job seekers in Atlantic Canada have the greatest challenge with a limited employment Outlook (+3%) anticipated. With widespread Covid-19 vaccination on the horizon, employers appear to be cautiously optimistic and open to flexibility in consideration of the post-pandemic chapter for business.”