Chinese employers are cautiously optimistic about hiring prospects over the forthcoming quarter despite the global financial crisis, but the job outlook in Shanghai has slumped, a survey shows.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for the first quarter of 2009, released yesterday, found 18 percent of Chinese employers predict an increase in their workforce, while 9 percent anticipate making cuts.

The figures mean China's Net Employment Outlook for the first quarter in 2009, based on seasonally adjusted data, stands at 10 percent ?? a drop of 2 percentage points compared with last quarter and 5 percent compared with the first quarter of this year.

A total of 3,727 employers from 10 cities - Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu, Dalian, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Xi'an - participated in the survey conducted by Manpower Inc, one of the leading employment service providers.

The survey found hiring predictions for Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou were currently at their weakest since the regional analysis began in the first quarter of 2007.

Among the 10 surveyed cities, the weakest hiring activity was reported by employers in Shanghai, with a Net Employment Outlook of 1 percent - down by 8 percentage points from the fourth quarter in 2008.

Xi'an's Outlook was 19 percent, Qingdao sat at 17 percent and Chengdu at 16 percent.

Lucille Wu, managing director of Manpower Greater China, said the global financial crisis was impacting on employment in China.

Jobs in finance, insurance and real estate, manufacturing, mining and construction, services, transportation and utilities, wholesale and retail trade were predicted to fall.

(Shanghai Daily December 10, 2008)