U.S. Employment Outlook Returns to Post-Recession Strength for Q4 2016

Net Employment Outlook of 18% last seen in Q4 2015, strongest since 2007

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Sep 13, 2016, 07:00 ET

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. employers indicate a slight increase in hiring plans for the final three months of 2016, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, released today by ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN). Taking into account seasonal variations, the Net Employment Outlook for Quarter 4 2016 is +18%, which matches the strongest post-recession Outlook reported in Quarter 4 2015. Hiring plans nationwide improve by three percentage points compared to the previous quarter, with all 13 industry sectors planning to increase their payrolls.

U.S. Employment Outlook Returns to PostRecession Strength for Q4 2016

View complete Q4 2016 survey results for the U.S.: www.manpowergroup.us/meos

Of the more than 11,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 22 percent anticipate increasing staff levels in Quarter 4 2016. This is a one percent decrease from Quarter 3 2016, and a one percent increase from Quarter 4 2015. Six percent of employers expect workforce reductions and 69 percent expect no change in hiring plans. The final three percent of employers are undecided about their hiring intentions, resulting in a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of +18%.

Nationwide, employers in all 13 industry sectors expect payrolls to increase during Quarter 4 2016, with Leisure & Hospitality (+30%), Wholesale & Retail Trade (+22%), Transportation & Utilities (+20%) and Professional & Business Services (+17%) employers reporting the strongest hiring intentions.

"Employers are optimistic, though hesitant, with their hiring intentions and we're pleased to see levels we were seeing before the recession," said Kip Wright, Senior Vice President of Manpower North America. "While employers are looking to grow their workforces, many are challenged to find candidates with the right skills. As the hiring outlook continues to improve, attracting and retaining skilled talent will become even more difficult. That's why we're hearing more about companies like AT&T and Marriott that are adopting strategies to develop their employees' skill sets and competing to attract those with the most in-demand skills – especially in industries like IT and engineering."

Quarter	Increase Staff Levels	Decrease Staff Levels	Maintain Staff Levels	Don't Know	Net Employment Outlook *(deseasonalized)*
Q4 2016 (current)	22%	6%	69%	31%	18%
Q3 2016 (previous quarter)	23%	5%	71%	1%	15%
Q4 2015 (one year ago)	21%	6%	71%	2%	18%

U.S. Hiring Plans by Regions, Industry Sectors and Metro Areas/States

Net Employment Outlooks strengthen in all four U.S. regions surveyed when compared with Quarter 3 2016. Hiring prospects are slightly stronger in the Northeast, the South and the West when compared with Q3 2016. In the Midwest, the Outlook remains relatively stable. Compared to one year ago at this time, hiring plans are slightly stronger in the West and remain relatively stable in the Midwest, the Northeast and the South.

Among the 50 states, employers in Hawaii, Tennessee, Utah, Montana, Florida and Arizona report the strongest Net Employment Outlooks, while Alaska, New Jersey, Wyoming, Puerto Rico and Indiana project the weakest Outlooks.

Among employers in the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas, the strongest job prospects are expected in:

Honolulu, Hawaii
Provo-Orem, Utah
Raleigh, N.C.
Miami, Fla.
Nashville, Tenn.
Charleston, S.C.

The weakest outlooks are projected in:

Oklahoma City, Okla.
Seattle, Wash.
Buffalo, N.Y.
Kansas City, Mo.
Worcester, Mass.

Complete results for the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey are available for download at www.manpower.us/meos. The next survey will be released on 13 December 2016 to report hiring expectations for Q1 2017. To receive email notifications when the survey is available each quarter, visit press.manpower.com.

*The Net Employment Outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.

About ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN) is the world's workforce expert, creating innovative workforce solutions for nearly 70 years. As workforce experts, we connect more than 600,000 people to meaningful work across a wide range of skills and industries every day. Through our ManpowerGroup family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – we help more than 400,000 clients in 80 countries and territories address their critical talent needs, providing comprehensive solutions to resource, manage and develop talent. In 2016, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the sixth consecutive year and one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible: www.manpowergroup.com.

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SOURCE ManpowerGroup