
By The Star Staff
The most recent edition of the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey indicates that the seasonally adjusted net hiring trend for the first quarter of the year in Puerto Rico is 12%, reflecting a decrease of one percentage point compared to the previous quarter.
According to the survey, 44% of companies reported achieving gender equity, while 58% stated they are making progress in reducing the wage gap, said Melissa Rivera Roena, the general manager of ManpowerGroup Puerto Rico.
“Since last year, we have observed a net downward trend in hiring, which can be attributed to the extraordinary peaks of 2023. What we see now is a stabilization,” Rivera Roena noted. “It’s important to highlight that most surveyed employers do not plan to make changes to their workforce or intend to increase it this quarter. Additionally, there is a growing awareness around gender equity issues.”
Rivera Roena said 38% of the employers surveyed indicated they do not plan to make any changes to their workforce, while 35% plan to increase the number of employees, and 23% intend to reduce positions. Four percent are still uncertain about their expectations for January to March of this year.
The highest hiring intentions were reported in the San Juan metro region (28%), followed by the south (18%) and east (17%) regions. Conversely, the central region (-22%), the north (-5%), and the west (-3%) have the lowest hiring expectations.
The economic sectors with the most optimistic hiring expectations include information technology (43%), transportation & logistics and automotive (25%), manufacturing (24%), and health sciences (16%). The sectors with the lowest hiring intentions are finance and real estate (12%), consumer goods and services (6%), telecommunications services (-8%), energy (-30%), and other industries (15%).
In terms of company size, both the largest companies (more than 5,000 employees) and the smallest (fewer than 10 employees) report the most favorable hiring expectations. Companies with 50-249 employees have a hiring intention of 20%, those with 10-49 employees at 18%, and those with 250-999 employees at 10%. The companies with the lowest hiring intentions are those with 1,000-4,999 employees, reporting -24%.
The survey, conducted for the first quarter in Puerto Rico, included a sample of 500 employers. Compared to the first quarter of 2023, Puerto Rico experienced a hiring expectation of -21%.
Alberto Alesi, the general director of ManpowerGroup for Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America, pointed out that changes or adjustments in economic and labor public policy in the United States and Puerto Rico could impact employers’ hiring decisions both in this quarter and throughout the year.
In terms of hiring expectations on a global scale, India (40%), the United States (34%), and Mexico (32%) ranked the highest. Those reporting the weakest hiring intentions include Argentina (-1%), Hong Kong (6%), and Israel (8%).
Regarding gender equity, Rivera Roena noted that when asked about their progress, 44% of companies reported achieving gender equity fully, an increase from 36% a year ago. Additionally, 33% said they are very close to achieving it, 13% view it as reasonable but still far off, and 7% believe they are very far from this goal.
According to the survey, nearly six out of 10 organizations (58%) believe they are on the right track to reducing the wage gap between men and women.
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