The hiring climate in Calgary is expected to remain stagnant with most employers opting to refrain from hiring or firing staff for the rest of the year, according to an employment report.

Manpower Group released a report detailing its findings that 82 per cent of employers in Calgary intend to retain their current staffing levels until the end of 2019, while 10 per cent anticipate hiring and only eight per cent expect to drop staff members before the year’s end.

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“Companies want to remain competitive and maintain their employee levels as they go into the new year,” said Ahmed Borhot, operations leader for Manpower Group. “We’re cautiously optimistic. There’s obviously some sectors that are not where we’d like them to be but there are areas that are seeing growth and improvement.”

Manpower Group’s survey found a plus-two-per-cent employment outlook for Calgary, which is two points fewer than the last four months but four points higher than it was at the end of 2018. The report indicates a slow hiring pace in the city for the upcoming months.

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At the end of August, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) released its monthly numbers finding only 10 per cent of employers in Alberta would be looking to hire into the end of the year, while 22 per cent expected cutbacks.

Keyli Kosiorek, policy analyst for CFIB, said business confidence swelled shortly before and after the provincial election because of optimism in the UCP government’s promises to improve the market for small business owners. However, that confidence tapered off in July and August.

“Albertans are seeing that there are still dark clouds on the horizon that are continuing to inhibit growth and business confidence. You know, there are things such as trade disputes, and the legal and regulatory delays on the pipeline capacity. I think that is adding to the low business confidence or this little bit of sliding back,” said Kosiorek.

Kosiorek added that the lack of confidence suggests policymakers need to continue to focus on policies that will lead to economic growth.

The Manpower Group report doesn’t include seasonal hiring, such as retail stores hiring additional part-time crew members to mitigate the influx of holiday shoppers. The data is skewed if it stretches to include temporary jobs during the holidays or increased hiring for road construction jobs in the summer.

According to Kosiorek, employment heats up in the summer and cools down in the winter since there are more seasonal positions in the warmer months — landscaping, construction and roofing, for example.

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Borhot said many companies seeking employees right now are struggling to find workers with the right skills and talents.

Sandip Lalli, president and CEO of Calgary Chamber, said up to 68 per cent of Canadian businesses are short on skilled workers.

“There’s been a bit of a misalignment between the skilled workers that we have and what employers are looking for,” said Lalli.

Those seeking employment during this time should be open to contract or seasonal work until permanent positions open, or pursue an education in the city’s growing industries like technology, according to Borhot.

“It’s not the most ideal, obviously, but permanent, direct jobs are not as common right now. Being open to contract opportunities will be very crucial,” said Borhot.