The formulas were developed primarily to give planners of, say, construction projects an idea of their manpower needs, and to tell policy makers how many jobs would be created.
Bechtel also nudged Al Abadi Group, a construction firm from Basra, to supply manpower, trucks and forklifts to start port repairs before getting proper approval.
"It is saying (the outlook is) softer, with some real trouble spots in construction and finance and real estate, and the rest is holding its own, but tenuous, " Manpower Chief Executive JeffJoerresJeff Joerres said.