October new hires fall 13 percent

In another sign that the New Hampshire economy remains volatile, the number of newly hired workers fell by nearly 13 percent in October.The New Hampshire Department of Employment Security reported that Granite State employers hired 19,774 new workers in October — a drop of 12.7 percent as compared to the 22,649 workers hired in September.So far, 2010 has yet to show any clear stabilized hiring pattern. A month or two of consecutive gains is reversed by a month of fewer new hires reported. For example, January and February saw month-over-month gains in hires only to be followed by a decrease in March. In May and June, monthly increases were reported – with more than 26,600 newly hired workers reported in June, the most this year – only to show flat growth or declines in July through October.But when compared to hiring practices in 2009, 2010 has been largely positive, although fewer workers were hired in January, April, July and October of 2010 than 2009. — CINDY KIBBE/NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW