Jobseekers continue to be in driver’s seat as U.S. hiring intentions hit 13-year high in Q3 2019
U.S. Employers are reporting the strongest nationwide hiring intentions in 13 years at +21%, according to the Q3 2019 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey. The last time the survey of more than 11,500 employers reported an Outlook as high as +21% was in Q3 of 2006.
Employers in all 13 industries report double-digit hiring intentions, suggesting continued strength in the labor market at a time when open jobs have outnumbered unemployed U.S. workers for 13 consecutive months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The most optimistic outlooks are reported in Professional & Business Services (+28%) and Leisure & Hospitality (+27%), reflecting an increase in automated processes and consumer spending that hit a six-month high in Q2, fueling demand for workers with both digital and soft skills. Prospects also look prosperous for jobseekers in Transportation & Utilities (+25%) and robust in Wholesale & Retail Trade (+24%) as customer demand for last mile delivery continues to grow.
Locally, a healthy job market is forecasted for Michigan with employers expected to hire at an optimistic pace. Among employers surveyed, 29% plan to hire more employees from July through September. This number is offset by the 3% that plan to reduce payrolls, while 68% of employers expect to maintain current staff levels and 0% indicate they are not sure of their hiring plans. This yields a Net Employment Outlook of 26%.
“At a time of record low unemployment and employer optimism at levels we haven’t seen since the mid-2000s, we need to do more to connect people to jobs if we’re going to sustain economic growth,” said Becky Frankiewicz, President of ManpowerGroup North America. “With such strong competition for talent, skilled workers are choosing when, where and how they work. We find jobs for 275,000 workers every year and know flexibility, access to childcare and clear career paths are especially attractive benefits to women and men. To find and retain top talent, the best companies are offering holistic benefits packages with accelerated training programs and opportunities to learn, earn more and move up so employees have the skills for jobs today and tomorrow.”
To read the full Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for the U.S., go to: manpowergroup.us/MEOS/ or to access the downloadable pdf version of the complete report, click here.
The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released on September 10, 2019 to report hiring expectations for Quarter 4 2019. Sign up here to receive email notification when the survey is available each quarter.
Source: manpowergroup.us/MEOS/
