SHORT TAKES

If you were hoping for easing of the tight labor market in the traditionally slow last quarter, you'll be disappointed. Milwaukee‐based Manpower's Employment Outlook Survey indicates that nearly 30% of the nearly 16,000 companies interviewed plan further hiring and 58% anticipate no change. In the Northeast, employers anticipate their highest level of fourth quarter hiring activity in 11 years. In the Midwest, the forecast for the fourth quarter is unsurpassed in the 23‐year history of the survey. In the West, durable goods manufacturers and educational organizations are aggressively hiring and other industries will follow customary seasonal patterns. Only the South expects a minor drop from the corresponding period of last year.