If you’re in the greater Cum­berland County area, the jobs outlook for the next quarter is either mild or solid—depending on which way you go.

That, according to the latest Manpower Employment Out­look Survey, which is conducted quarterly by Manpower, the multibillion-dollar international employment ser­vices company.

Manpower conducts surveys in hundreds of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs); until a year ago, the greater Vineland area was among them. Nowa­days, the closest survey areas are Atlantic City-Ham­monton—where the expected job market for the April-June quarter is considered “mild”—and the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington area—where the expected jobs outlook is called “solid.”

Here’s what Manpower found by surveying area employers on their prospective hiring or employment needs for the spring quarter beginning in April.

For the AC-Hammonton statistical area, employers expect to hire at a modest pace; for the Phila.-Camden-Wilmington area, hiring during the second quarter of 2010 is seen as being at a healthy pace.

Here’s the breakdown by metropolitan statistical areas:

Atlantic City-Hammonton

From April to June, 16 percent of the companies surveyed plan to hire more employees while 12 percent expect to reduce their payrolls. Another 66 percent expect to maintain their current staff levels and 6 percent aren’t certain of their hiring plans.

This yields a net employment outlook of 4 percent.

“Hiring levels in our area appear to be much stronger compared with last quarter when the net employment outlook was -7 percent,” says Manpower spokeswoman Rebecca Sokolowski. “In addition, employers are slightly less optimistic about hiring activity compared with one year ago, when the net employment outlook was 5 percent.

The net employment outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.

For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in transportation & utilities, wholesale & retail trade, leisure & hospitality and other services.

Employers in financial activities, professional & business service and government plan to reduce staffing levels.

Hiring in construction, durable goods manufacturing, information and education & health services is expected to remain unchanged.

Phila.-Camden-Wilmington

In this area, 17 percent of companies surveyed plan to hire more employees, while 2 percent expect to reduce payrolls. Another 77 percent expect to maintain current staff level and 4 percent aren’t certain of their hiring needs.

This yields a net employment outlook of 15 percent.

“Hiring levels in our area appear to be considerably strong compared with last quarter when the net employment outlook was -1 percent,” says Manpower spokeswoman Nancy Penkivech. “In addition, employers are also much more optimistic about hiring activity compared with one year ago when the net employment outlook was -1 percent.”

Job prospects for the coming quarter appear best in construction, information, financial activities, professional & business services, education & health services, leisure & hospitality and government.

Employers in transportation & utilities plan to reduce staffing levels.

Hiring in durable goods manufacturing, nondurable goods manufacturing, wholesale & retail trade and other services is expected to remain unchanged.

Nationwide, Manpower found the jobs outlook best in the Northeast.

Of the 18,000 employers surveyed across the U.S., 16 percent expect to increase their staff levels during the second quarter. Eight percent expect to reduce their payrolls. Seventy-three percent expect no change in hiring. Three percent are undecided about their April-June hiring plans.

So, according to the latest Manpower survey, the net employment outlook this spring by area includes:

• Four percent for the AC-Hammonton statistical area;

• Eight percent for the U.S. as a whole; and,

• Fifteen percent for the Phila.-Camden-Wilmington area.

(Editor’s note—For a closer-to-home look at the prospective jobs market, readers may wish to attend a luncheon next Tuesday in Fairton; see separate front page story.)