Business outlook stable: EMA Employers Survey

Business outlook stable: EMA Employers Survey

Business outlook is expected to stay the same over the next six months, according to employers surveyed by the EMA (Employers and Manufacturers Association).

In its mid-year Employers Survey, 61% of respondees said they expected business conditions to remain the same, while 22% said they expected it to improve. When asked about their own businesses, 45% said they expected to see it grow and 48% said they expected it to stay the same.

“This is in line with much of the commentary we’ve heard recently. We know that growth has slowed compared with what was predicted at the beginning of 2015, and we know that it’s tough in some sectors, such as dairy. However, the economic fundamentals we have in place are serving many of our members well and they remain relatively positive for their own sectors,” says Kim Campbell, CEO, EMA.

“Sourcing skilled staff still remains a key issue amongst our members. We’ve seen this previously and it is a growing trend.”

While 52% of respondees said they had increased their staff numbers over past six months, 68% said it was still difficult to attract suitably skilled candidates. The majority of survey respondents said they planned to overcome this by employing staff with the basic level or required skills, and then upskill them.

The skills shortage sits across trade/technical roles and professional roles. In the survey, 35% of respondees were struggling to fill trade and technician vacancies, and 17% were struggling to fill professional vacancies.

The full report is available on the EMA website, ema.co.nz, in the Resources section.

ENDS

© Scoop Media