Job prospects in Los Angeles dim, survey says

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The job picture in Los Angeles for the third quarter of 2010 is one of the weakest in the nation, according to a report released Tuesday by Manpower Inc.

About 11% of companies in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metro area plan to hire more employees between July and September, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, while 13% plan to decrease staff levels.

The survey says the net employment outlook is -2%, lower than the 6% net employment outlook for the second quarter of 2010. The net employment outlook for the third quarter of last year was -4%.

The best job prospects for the coming quarter are in durable goods manufacturing, financial activities, professional and business services and leisure and hospitality. Employers in construction, information, government and education and health services plan to cut employees, the survey said. The education and health services field has traditionally been a strong sector throughout the recession.

The outlook for Los Angeles is worse than for both the state and the rest of the nation. In California, 17% of companies surveyed said they’d hire more employees, while 12% would reduce their payrolls, leading to a net employment increase of 5%. Nationally, 18% of employers say they would add more staff in the third quarter, while 8% would reduce staffing levels.

-- Alana Semuels