Where Are the Jobs? Steady Hiring Pace Expected for U.S. in Q2 2016

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Mar 08, 2016, 03:20 ET

MILWAUKEE, March 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, released today by ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), indicates stable hiring plans among U.S. employers for the second quarter of 2016. Taking into account seasonal variations, the Net Employment Outlook is +16%, making anticipated hiring in Quarter 2 2016 relatively stable compared to Quarter 1 2016 and unchanged from last year at this time.

View complete Q2 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 2 2016. This is a 2 percent increase from Quarter 1 2016, and unchanged from Quarter 2 2015. Four percent of employers expect workforce reductions, and 72 percent expect no change in hiring plans. The final 2 percent of employers are undecided about their hiring intentions, resulting in a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of +16%.

"The U.S. labor market is strong compared to the global situation, with the economy still generating a sufficient number of jobs to keep the unemployment rate down," said Kip Wright, Senior Vice President, Manpower North America. "However, we now live in a world of 'certain uncertainty,' where increased volatility may be here to stay. As a result, organizations and individuals need to be more agile in order to better adapt to this rapidly evolving environment, and a key differentiator to success is attracting and developing the right skills."

Quarter	Increase Staff Levels	Decrease Staff Levels	Maintain Staff Levels	Don't Know	Net Employment Outlook *(deseasonalized)*
Q2 2016 (current)	22%	4%	72%	2%	16%
Q1 2016 (previous quarter)	20%	6%	72%	2%	17%
Q2 2015 (one year ago)	22%	4%	72%	2%	16%

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

Quarter over quarter, U.S. employers in the Midwest, Northeast and South expect hiring to remain relatively stable, while employers in the West anticipate a slight decrease in hiring. Compared to the same time last year, employers in the West report a slightly weaker Outlook, while employers in the Northeast, Midwest and South anticipate a relatively stable hiring pace.

Employers have a positive Outlook in all 13 industry sectors included in the survey, with Leisure & Hospitality (+31%), Wholesale & Retail Trade (+22%), Transportation & Utilities (+19%) and Professional & Business Services (+18%) employers reporting the strongest hiring intentions.

Among the 50 states, employers in Nebraska, Idaho, Rhode Island and Iowa report the strongest Net Employment Outlooks, while Wyoming, Nevada, Louisiana and New Jersey project the weakest Outlooks.

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

Charlotte, N.C.
Omaha, Neb.
Albany, N.Y.
Boise, Idaho

The weakest outlooks are projected in:

Youngstown, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Baton Rouge, La.
Las Vegas

Complete results for the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey are available for download at www.manpowergroup.us/meos. The next survey will be released on 14 June 2016 to report hiring expectations for Q3 2016. 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