June 11 (SeeNews) - Bulgarian employers report generally positive hiring prospects and expect a moderate hiring pace in the third quarter of 2019, recruitment company ManpowerGroup said on Tuesday.
The net employment outlook of surveyed employers, adjusted to allow for seasonal variation, stands at +8% in the period between July and September, ManpowerGroup said in its latest Employment Outlook Survey.
When asked about their hiring plans, out of 620 surveyed employers 11% plan to increase staffing levels, 2% forecast a decrease, while 85% expect no changes.
The hiring intentions increased by 1 percentage point compared to the previous quarter but also registered a decline of 1 percentage point compared to the same quarter of last year.
"Despite the investments that were made in key sectors over the last three months, Bulgarian employers will probably remain moderately optimistic. Their hiring intentions are mostly influenced by the growing gap between the needs and requirements of their business and the lack of available skills on the market," Aleksandar Hangimana, managing director of ManpowerGroup Balkans, said as quoted.
Employers in nearly all industrial sectors expect to grow staffing levels during the July-September period, with the exception of the mining sector where a decrease of 2% is forecast. The financial sector reports the strongest net employment outlook of +16%.
In terms of regional hiring intentions, the strongest labour market is anticipated in Varna with a net employment outlook of +12%.