Utah Valley has been rising above the nationwide recessionary trend and, according to a national temporary services company, employment prospects in the valley are doing the same.
Manpower Temporary Services, a company with more than 1,200 offices worldwide based in Milwaukee, conducts quarterly employment outlook surveys. Its most recent survey shows the Utah Valley area to have a "flourishing job market."The company does the survey as a public service, said Melissa Anderson, service representative at Manpower's Orem office.
The local Manpower branches contact employers and ask them to give their best idea of an employment projection for the next quarter, Anderson said.
Utah Valley is a good place for employment opportunities right now, she said. And the next survey, due to be released at the first of June, will probably also be on the positive side.
The last survey showed that 33 percent of companies interviewed in the area intended to increase their staffs, while only 10 percent planned to reduce their staffs.
That's significantly better than Manpower's national survey results, which showed the hiring outlook for the United States has continued to fall and "has now reached 1982 recession levels," Anderson said.
The survey measures the hiring patterns of more than 15,000 employers in 469 cities nationwide.
Anderson said the survey tries to include the same companies in order to chart trends.
"We send each company that participates a copy of the survey, and we have received good feedback," she said, adding that companies seem pleased with the opportunity to see the trends.
According to Anderson, the sectors of the business community that are hiring include durable and non-durable manufacturing, wholesale-retail trade and services.
Industries that report hiring drops or few staffing changes include construction, finance, insurance and real estate.
"We normally experience a pickup in hiring momentum from the first quarter," Anderson said.
Those interested in the survey can call 226-8119.
How the area compares
Utah Valley businesses compare favorably with national trends in staff increases.
Firms indicating an increase in staff:
Utah Valley, 33 percent Nationwide, 18 percent
Firms indicating a decrease:
Utah Valley, 10 percent Nationwide, 13 percent
Firms planning to remain at current workforce levels:
Utah Valley, 57 percent Nationwide, 69 percent
Source: Manpower Inc. Employment Outlook Survey.