Hesitant on Hiring

Results from two recent studies suggest that Canadian businesses are holding back on hiring new employees.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey of more than 1,900 Canadian employers found that only 23% of the companies surveyed plan to increase their payrolls in the third quarter of 2012, while 70% said they expect to maintain their current staffing levels.

Meanwhile, the Robert Half Professional Employment Report found similar attitudes among 1000 CFOs, CIOs and senior HR managers at Canadian companies when it comes to hiring senior-level staff. Only 5% of the senior managers surveyed said they are planning to add employees in this area in the third quarter. Four in ten (41%) also said they have encountered recruiting challenges—up 5% from last year.