Buoyed by the service industry, Victoria’s employers are looking ahead bullishly to the second quarter according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today.

The survey data showed 27 per cent of employers plan to hire for the second quarter (April through June) with 66 per cent expecting to maintain their current staffing levels over that period.

Only seven per cent of employers anticipated cutting their workforce.

“Victoria’s net employment outlook of 20 per cent is a decrease from the same time last year when area employers reported a net employment outlook of 27 per cent,” said Hakan Bozkaya of Manpower’s Vancouver office.

Bozkaya did however note the second quarter outlook is 17 per cent better than the first quarter of this year.

The survey looked at 10 sectors and found employers in the services sector were the most hopeful with a net employment outlook of 11 per cent.

But while Victoria’s employers appear to be optimistic, nationally business owners expect a more modest second quarter.

The survey showed only 15 per cent expected to add to their staffing levels in the second quarter, while nine per cent anticipate cutbacks for a net employment outlook of six per cent.

“Employer hiring confidence reported in the previous quarter has decreased,” said Lori Rogers, vice president of operations for Manpower Canada. “Canadian employers are telling us that while they will continue to increase their payrolls they will do so at a more cautious pace than in the previous quarters.”

The survey is part of a national assessment across 10 sectors: services; public administration; construction; mining; education; transportation and public utilities; wholesale and retail trade; finance, insurance and real estate; manufacturing durable goods; and manufacturing non-durable goods.