Queensland businesses' employment expectations are continuing to improve, with new statistics showing a net 43.3% of employers are anticipating an increase in staffing levels during the March quarter, well above national expectations of a net 31.5%.
The latest Hudson Report says employment expectations have increased for the sixth consecutive quarter and are at their highest level in three years.
The survey of more than 7,800 employers show an increase in national employment expectations of 2 percentage points from the December 2004 quarter.
Queensland's optimism is topped only by the ACT, where a net 45.7% are expecting employment to grow.
Hudson's acting Queensland general manager Charles Kerr says the figures are in line with a continual increased population and state economic growth.
An overview of industry sectors also shows solid confidence, with 12 of 16 industries surveyed expressing positive sentiment.
Professional services lead the pack, up 2pp from 12 months ago to 42.2%, while information technology is up 9pp over the year to 40%.
Resources has increased 15pp from the December quarter to 34.8% on the back of strong demand for domestic commodities from the Chinese market and announcements of major capital investment projects.
Nationally, construction/property/engineering is showing a decreased level of optimism, down for the third consecutive quarter to 36.2%.
The Queensland sector hasn't been spared, with Kerr saying issues including a downturn in housing driving expectations lower.
"An impressive 65.1% of employers in the professional services industry are planning to increase permanent staffing levels over the March 2005 quarter, 13pp higher than this time last year," he says.
"However, government spending on major infrastructure projects has offset a slight decline in the domestic housing market. The overall effect in the construction/property/engineering industry is that employers are slightly less optimistic about the future. Recording a net effect of 37.1%, this is the lowest result in two years."
Hudson says "ongoing speculation about a hike in interest rates during the first half of 2005 is continuing to impact decision makers in this industry".