Tulsa's hiring outlook for the final three months of the year is less optimistic than it was for the third quarter, according to the latest results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
Even so, the report points to a "respectable job market" for the Tulsa area from October to December as 15 percent of those surveyed say they plan to increase staff levels. That compares to 21 percent who said the same thing for the current July-to-September period.
Another 10 percent in the Tulsa metro plan to reduce staff levels during the final quarter, while 73 percent expect to maintain current levels and 2 percent are unsure of their plans.
The economy can't continue to grow at the same rate it has in the past, so it's reasonable to expect to see slowdowns in hiring expectations, said Bob Ball, economist with the Tulsa Regional Chamber.
The most recent jobs data from the government, which was released in July, likewise, points to a slowdown for Tulsa as nonfarm employment grew 1.8 percent on an annual basis versus 2.0 percent last year at the same time.
"Growth is slowing, and that is a natural thing," Ball said. "There are tight markets in certain areas ... You're just not going to continue to expand at those explosive rates we saw last year. We'll see growth tapering off, but we should still have a strong year."
Certain occupations are not growing like they should because there are not enough qualified workers for the jobs. The need for health care, for example, is persistent and will continue to grow as more baby boomers age, said Ball. But nursing is one occupation where employment is growing at a slower rate because there aren't enough nurses to fill positions.
Kelly Beyer, a branch manager for Manpower in Tulsa, pointed to positive developments for the area, noting that, "there is a lot of movement and growth going on in the Tulsa job market."
Beyer said she recently has received a couple of separate notices that point to future job growth for the area. One from the Tulsa Regional Chamber Tulsa Chamber/Choose Tulsa Jobs indicates that Verizon in Tulsa is one of two locations in the country that has been identified to significantly grow its head count, she said. Tulsa will have 400-plus new finance and accounting jobs at all levels, according to the information she received.
Another email from the Tulsa Area Workforce Investment Board notes that there are several companies in the Tulsa metro that have been awarded Quality Jobs contracts and will be adding jobs to their companies as well, she said.
According to the Manpower survey, year-end hiring plans in the United States are the strongest they've been since the 2007 fourth quarter, according to Manpower.
"Employers plan to hire during the fourth quarter, particularly in the wholesale and retail trade sector, and that's good news for job seekers looking for employment during the busy holiday season," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup president, in a written statement. "Employers bring on new staff when they start seeing increased demand for their products and services, and this intention to hire may signal optimism among U.S. employers."
Of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed nationwide, 18 percent expect to add to their payrolls, while 8 percent expect a decrease and 72 expect no change in staff levels. Another 2 percent reported being unsure of their hiring plans.
Best job prospects
Fourth-quarter job prospects for metro Tulsa appear strongest in:
- Transportation and utilities
- Wholesale and retail trade
- Financial activities
- Education and health services
- Leisure and hospitality
- Government
- Other services
Laurie Winslow 918-581-8466
laurie.winslow@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Tulsa job market tighter in 4th quarter
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