A recent survey conducted by Manpower Inc. reveals that Barrie-area employers expect “a fair hiring pace” for the fourth quarter of 2008.

Ken Gilmer, branch manager for the employment agency located on Cedar Pointe Drive, says the numbers “are a little bit down from the same time last year.”

Survey data state that 19 per cent of employers plan to hire in the October to December period, while 10 per cent intend to reduce their workforce. Approximately 68 per cent of employers expect to maintain their current staffing levels. The remaining three per cent are unsure of their staffing levels from now until the New Year.

“Barrie’s fourth quarter Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of nine per cent is a slight decrease from the previous quarter when the NEO was 10 per cent,” Gilmer says. “It is a further decrease from the same time last year, when the NEO was 27 per cent.”

Manpower’s survey covers a whole spectrum of local employers, not just Manpower clients, Gilmer says. Survey data collected is kept confidential.

“The economy is becoming more and more of an issue,” he adds. “Especially with an election coming up.”