Fewer Help Wanted Signs: Manpower Survey Shows Hiring Is Cooling

Statewide, only a net 10 percent of firms surveyed plan to increase hiring as the new year begins, the survey reported.

Hiring, in fact, is expected to fall off in Asheville, Charlotte, Durham and Fayetteville where molre firms have plans to decrease their workforces.

In the Raleigh market, some 13 percent of those companies surveyed said they expect to add workers, but another 3 percent expect to cut workforce.

"The Raleigh area employment is softer than the fourth quarter forecast when 27 percent of companies interviewed predicted an increase in hiring activity, and 10 percent planned to decrease the hiring pace," said Jeff Stocks, a spokesman for Manpower in Raleigh. "A year ago at this time, employers revealed more positive hiring intentions when 37 percent of companies surveyed thought employment increases were likely and 17 percent intended to cut back."

Statewide, 21 percent of firms expect to add workers but 11 percent are planning reductions.

Three markets look to be especially hot in hiring - Winston-Salem at 34 percent, Rocky Mount at 46 percent and Greenville at 33 percent.

The net increase or decrease in hiring by statewide markets is as follows:

Asheville, -3%

Catawba County Area, 17%

Charlotte, -3%

Durham, -10%

Fayetteville, -13%

Gastonia, 10%

Greensboro, 11%

Greenville, 33%

High Point, 14%

Raleigh, 10%

Rocky Mount, 46%

Shelby, 10%

Wilmington, 3%

Winston-Salem, 34%

State wide, 10%