Pa- geu, Whiiby Fiee Prose Weckiesday, Deoeaber 8. 1993 Job outlook a littie brighter iDurhtam Unlike mSt other areas of Canada, Durham Region will begin the new year with more hiring gains than job lossee, according te results of the latest employment oulook survey by Manpower Temporary Services. 0f the area employers questioned about first-quarter hiring plans, 13 per cent intend te add more workr during the January-February-March period, while 8 per cent anticipate staff reductions. Another 72 per cent foresee no change in current, personnel levels end 7 per cent are unsure. "Not only la Durham Region one of the few areas in thé country te, have a positive job picture for the start of the new ye.ar," says Lorraine Stevenson of Manpewer, "'but the current forecast ia the most promsing in more than a year." Tbree months ago il per cent expected workforce expansion, while 14 per cent envisioned cutbacke. Job oppertunities appear best this winter in construction. Mixed readings are reported in durable and non-duraýble goods manufacturing and whole-sale/- retail trade. Nationally, prospects for job hunters have never been darker. A combination of . receson dedline and seasonal slowdown caused only 9 per cent of employers te pln staff increases, while 22 per cent expect cutbacks. 0f 38 cities surveyed, only Fredericton and Durhamn Region express slightly positive outlooks. The situation spares no industry or geographic area.. Although the demand for workers in Fredericton and Durhamn Region le weak, they are the only areas aniong 38 cities surveyed where employers planning te add staff outnumber those still trimmning their employment rolîs. Among the 10 industries surveyed, onlSr mining avoided a negative outlook. According te Stevenson, most large cities were among the most negative. Included in the 10 most negative markets were Toronto, Montreal, Hamilîton, Calgary and Ottawa. She found a light ray of hope amid the darknesa, however. 'While nearly ail industries are negative," she observed, "the very imprtnt durable goods manufacturing and finance, insurance and real estate sectors are less so than other industries. The official opeming of the Mutual Group's Whitby branch office was te be held this afternoon (Wednesday). The new office, located downtewn in Pearson Lanes at 129 Byron St. N., was opened te address the rapidly increasing population centred around Whitby in Durhanm Region. 'Whitby is quickly becoming the commercial focal point for the reion and the Mutual Croup recognizes both the opportunity for the company and the needs of the 'roin community," says branch manager Ed Romaniuk. "Whitby bas always been an important market for our produets and services. The time is right for a higher profile for the Mutual Group in this community." Whitby bas been serviced by agents of the Mutual Group for almnost 120 years. The Mutual Group offers life insurance and markets investment funds, employee benefit plans, annuities and other savings and investment products. The Whitby office will be the hub for a network of 12 agents in Durham Region. The new facility was to be officially opened at 4 p.m. Aniong those scheduled to attend the ceremnony were Lyle Shapansky, vice-president, individual marketing division of the Mutual Group, and Bob Barr, regional agency vice-president of the MutalGroup. .........I The Durham Business and Professional Women's Club will hold their Christmas party and auction on Wednesday night, Dec. 15 in Ajax. The 'Bonanza Auction' is a fundraiser for the Denise House. The club will meet at 6 p.m. at the Victoria Garden Banquet Hall in Pickering Village. Cost ie $25 for membere, $30 for non-members. For more infor- mation cail Karen Grahanm at 427-6930 or Leah Murray at 728-9115. TORONTO Sohoot of Business health care students Jeannette Helpard (Ieft) and Mary-Jane Turner clown around with a skelton at the school's officiai reopening Thursday. The school moved tram the 'shops up top' at Oshawa Centre to the basement, taking over space formerly used by a bowling alley. Photo by Mark Reesor, Whtby Free Press Downtown Business Improvemntrea Treeo< Hpe o Satrda On Saturday, charitable organizationa and service clubs wilI be in the downtown from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. for Tree of Hope Day, in an effort teraise funds for many worthwhile prograins. For a minimum donation of $1, residents will receive a coloured light bulb for the Tree of Hope, located at the Whitby Public Library. Each donated bulb wiil be used te replace a white bulb on the trees that were lit during the tree-lighting ceremony on Dec. 3. offers gfifts for needy ids& The Children's Tree program, is again being held at Kmart in Whitby, te provide local, needy children with a new gift for the holiday. The store at 1801 Dundas St. E. (Kendalwood Plaza), will have a children's Christmias tree, trimmed with colourful tags, until Dec. 18. Each tag will give information on a child, such as first naine, age, sex and clothing size. People interested in making a child's Christmnas brighter select a tag fromn the Christmas tree and purchase a icift for the child. The child's naine must be registered at the WVhitby store, but gifts can be purchase at any location. Ciffe for the children should be returned unwrapped te the Whltby store with the tag by Dec. 18. Each child'e gift will be wrapped and ready to open Chrietmnas mornimg. The change frein white te coloured bulbe will Erymbolize the funds raised for the charity groups and community organizations. Members of the Durhami Down Syndrome Association will seli bulbe at Bill'a No Frills on Brock Street South. The Knlghts of Columbus, St. John the Evangeliet Council 4895 will seil bulbe in front of their hall at 133 Brock St. N. Club Centrai, a clubhouse prograni sponsored by the Canadian Mental Health Association - Durhami Branch will seIl coloured bulbs in fr-ont of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. The Whitby General Hospital Auxiliary wiil be stationed at Miracle Food Mart, 601 Dundas St. W. Funda raised by the auxiliary this year wMi go tewards much-needed hoSpital equipment. Folks from the Learning Disabilities Association Of Oshawa wiil be in front of the Bank of Nova Scotia on Brock Street North. The Optimist Club of WhÎtby will selI bulbe in front of the Whitby fire hall on Brock Street South. Members of the Leukemia Research Fund - Durham Region will be at Tim Horten Donuts on Dundas Street West. Big Sisters of Newcastle, Oshawa, Whitby will seli bulbe inside the Whithy IGA on Brock Street South. The AIDS Comiittee of Durham (ACD) will be at Pearson Lanes on Brock Street North. The Heart and Stroke Foundation wlll oeil bulbe ln front of Warren J. Mowat Insurance at 17 Brock St. N. Opening A held for Mutual Group's Whitby location ADVERTISING POLICY The Whitby Free Press is a business which derives almost ail its revenue from advertîing in one form or another. For obvious self-interest, we want our clients' advertising to worK. Our polucy is to reach as many homes in Whitby as possible (usually more thani 99%) and to provide focal high-interest content that ensures that'people'read the paper and hence the advertising as well. We urge readers to patronize our acfvertisers in order that we can provide even better coveraqge in the future. We also stress creaflvity. We wilI provide our proessional experience to advise dlients on ways to make their advertising more effective, but for a produçt that cannot be repossessed, there are no guarantees. We strive to avoid errors, but whèn we make them. a correction will ho made in a subsequent issue or a discount ofered. The newspapers f egafl lability is onfy for the actuat spaoe occuped by the error. 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