Survey Finds Employment Optimism Rising!

Survey Finds Employment Optimism Rising!

The TMP Job Index Survey results released today (25 June) show that levels of permanent employment optimism have risen – up 6.9% from the previous half - yearly survey (Jan – June 02) to a current net effect of +29.9%.

Of the 1741 employers surveyed, 39.2% have indicated that they are planning to increase current permanent staffing levels over the next six months, compared to 9.2% who are expecting to decrease current permanent staff numbers.

TMP Worldwide, New Zealand and Australia’s largest Human Resources company conducts the Job Index Survey on a six monthly basis. The survey combines the expectations of key employment decision-makers, from all major industries, across the spectrum of different organisation sizes. Since its inception in 1997, this Index has proved to be an accurate and extremely well recognised employment indicator.

TMP Worldwide, General Manager – New Zealand, Mr Denis Horner, said the Upper North Island employers have recorded the most optimistic outlook for the coming six month – up a substantial 8.2% from the previous survey.

“Of the Upper North Island employers surveyed, 41.5% have indicated that they are expecting to increase current permanent staff numbers over the next six months compared to 10.1% decrease for a current net effect of +31.4%.”

The South Island has recorded the second highest level of optimism with a net effect of +30.6%, up 5.8% from the previous survey.

“Lower North Island employers have also recorded an optimistic outlook for permanent employment prospects over the coming six months,” said Mr Horner. “Some 31.7% of those surveyed indicated that they are anticipating an increase in current staffing levels compared to only 9.4% expecting staff reductions for a net effect of +27.7%.”

“Yet again, this result is up from the previous survey period (5.5%),” Mr Horner said.

Overall employers from the majority of industries surveyed have recorded optimistic outlooks for the coming six months. Electronics was the most optimistic industry surveyed, followed by Construction/Property, Information Technology and Engineering.

Non-Profit and Chemical/Oil were the only industries to record less than optimistic outlooks for permanent prospects over the coming six months, with the Legal industry recording the most dramatic downturn in optimism from the previous survey, down 23.6%.

Employment optimism has risen across New Zealand small, medium sized and large business employers from the last survey period. Medium sized businesses have recorded the most optimistic outlook for the coming six months, with a current net effect of +35.0%. The result for medium sized is up 7.8% from the previous survey.

“Optimism among large business has increased 8.5% from the previous survey to a current net effect of +20.7% - the most optimistic result recorded since Jan-June1999 – and represents a 4.0% increase from 12 months ago,” said Mr Horner.

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THE TMP JOB INDEX SURVEY JULY – DECEMBER 2002

50% OF ORGANISATIONS YET TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF ACC PREMIUM DISCOUNTS

50.8 % of organisations surveyed in the latest TMP Job Index Survey have indicated that they had not entered the ACC Workplace Safety Management Practices (WSMP) Programme to obtain a discount on their premium, according to results released today (June 25).

Of that percentage, 22.3% indicated they had not entered with 28.5% unsure. These results were reasonably consistent across regions.

TMP Worldwide, New Zealand and Australia’s largest Human Resources company conducts the Job Index Survey on a six monthly basis. The survey combines the expectations of key employment decision-makers, from all major industries, across the spectrum of different organisation sizes.

TMP Worldwide, General Manager – New Zealand, Mr Denis Horner said that looking across industries, employers from Utilities were the most likely to indicate that they had entered the ACC WSMP. However, employers from Legal and Non-Profit industries were the least likely to indicate they had entered with Telecommunications employers the most likely to indicate they didn’t know.

“Large business employers (65.3%) were more likely than their medium sized (46.4%) and small (30.6%) business counterparts to indicate that they had entered ACC WSMP to obtain a discount on their premium,” said Mr Horner.

“Small business employers were more likely to be uncertain.”

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‘WORK LIFE BALANCE’ ALIVE & WELL IN NZ WORKPLACE

Kiwis have a healthy ‘work life balance’ according to results of the latest TMP Job Index Survey released today (June 25).

Nationally 83.5% of the employers surveyed indicated that they consider ‘work life balance’ exists in their organisation. There was marginal variation across regions with employers from the South Island (87.7%) more likely than those from the Lower North Island (84.0%) and Upper North Island (81.9%) to indicate that work life balance exists in their organisation.

TMP Worldwide, New Zealand and Australia’s largest Human Resources company conducts the Job Index Survey on a six monthly basis. The survey combines the expectations of key employment decision-makers, from all major industries, across the spectrum of different organisation sizes.

TMP Worldwide, General Manager – New Zealand, Mr Denis Horner said that small, medium sized and large businesses were consistent in their responses regards a healthy ‘work life balance’ in their organisation.”

“Additionally, the employers surveyed listed the key benefits contributing to a healthy work life balance as; flexible working hours, remote access, study subsidies, part-time work, paternity leave and team building,” Mr Horner said.

“Conversely, 38.5% of employers surveyed nationally also indicated that they thought the term ‘work life balance’ is merely a catch phrase that is bandied about. Slightly more small business employers surveyed (44.7%) indicated this, than their medium sized (38.3%) and large business (34.8%)counterparts.

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KIWIS MORE OPTIMISTIC ON JOB FRONT THAN AUSTRALIAN COUNTERPARTS

Comparing the average permanent employment optimism for Australia for the period February – July 02 (net effect +20.6%) and the level of optimism recorded for New Zealand over a similar period (Jan – June 02 net effect +23.0%), New Zealand emerges as slightly more optimistic that Australia. These results are taken from the TMP Job Index Surveys undertaken during that time.

TMP Worldwide, New Zealand and Australia’s largest Human Resources company conducts the Job Index Survey on a six monthly basis. The survey combines the expectations of key employment decision-makers, from all major industries, across the spectrum of different organisation sizes.

TMP Worldwide, General Manager – New Zealand, Mr Denis Horner said that looking at industries common to both New Zealand and Australia and comparing their level of optimism for similar survey periods, there is a substantial variation in outlooks.

“Optimism among New Zealand employers exceeded levels recorded by Australian employers for the majority of industries,” Mr Horner said.

Those industries where New Zealand employers were more optimistic than Australian employers included*:
Electronics – New Zealand (net effect +40.0%) compared to Australia (+9.1%)
Government – New Zealand (net effect +24.8%) compared to Australia (+20.0%)
Information Technology – New Zealand (net effect +41.5%) compared to Australia (+25.7%)
Legal – New Zealand (net effect +52.9%) compared to Australia (+42.4%)
Services – New Zealand (net effect +27.1%) compared to Australia (+22.1%)
Telecommunications – New Zealand (net effect +16.1%) compared to Australia (+9.6%)

* All comparisons compare the net effect recorded for New Zealand for the January – June 2002 survey period with the average net effect recorded for Australian employers between February 2002 and July 2002.

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EMPLOYERS EXPRESS CONFIDENCE IN
SALES & PROFIT OVER NEXT TWELVE MONTHS

Some 56.7% of employers nationally indicated that they thought sales would increase over the next 12 months, with 52.2% indicating profit would increase over that same period of time according to results in the latest TMP Job Index Survey released today (June 25).

These figures compare to 6.2% who believe sales will decrease and 8.6% who feel profit will decrease. 37.1% believe sales will remain stable, with 39.2% believing the same of profit.

TMP Worldwide, New Zealand and Australia’s largest Human Resources company conducts the Job Index Survey on a six monthly basis. The survey combines the expectations of key employment decision-makers, from all major industries, across the spectrum of different organisation sizes.

TMP Worldwide, General Manager – New Zealand, Mr Denis Horner said that these results were consistent across small, medium sized and large businesses, however, variation did occur across the regions surveyed.

“When it comes to employers level of confidence in sales over the next 12 months, fewer employers from the Lower North Island (41.6%) believe that sales will increase than those from the Upper North Island (62.2%) and the South Island (63.9%),” said Mr Horner.

“Similarly, South Island employers were more confident that profit would increase (61.0%), than those from the Upper North Island (56.1%) and Lower North Island (43.4%)”.

Looking across the industries surveyed, Electronics industry employers were the most likely to consider both sales and profit will increase over the next 12 months.”

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