Canadian employers are giving workers reason for optimism, expecting a steady hiring climate for the fourth quarter of 2010, according to the latest results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

There’s even more good news when it comes to the Manufacturing-Durables industry, as that sector is reporting its strongest outlook in the past decade, anticipating an active hiring period over the next three months.

The Manpower survey indicates an outlook of 15%, up four points from the previous quarter, with seasonal variations taken into account.

The outlook has increased by 10% from the same time last year, when employers reported an outlook of 5%.

The survey looked at the hiring plans of nearly 1,900 Canadian employers, revealing that 21% expect to increase their payrolls in the fourth quarter of 2010, while just 7% anticipate cutbacks. Seventy percent of employers expect to maintain their current staffing levels and 2% are unsure of their hiring intentions for the upcoming quarter.

Employers in Atlantic and Western Canada are hiring the most workers, according to the study, reporting a net employment outlook of 17%. Many of the jobs in the robust Manufacturing-Durable Goods industry sector are located in these regions.

Meanwhile, employers in Ontario expect a respectable hiring climate with an outlook of 14%, and Quebec area employers anticipate a moderate fourth quarter, reporting a net employment outlook of 8%.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is conducted quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. It’s based on interviews with more than 61,000 public and private employers worldwide and is considered a highly respected economic indicator.