U.S. hiring outlook remains strong as employers continue to predict optimistic hiring in the fourth quarter.
U.S. employers expect the hiring pace to remain positive in Q4 2019 with hiring intentions improving one percentage point compared to a year ago, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey. The last time the survey of more than 11,500 employers reported a Q4 Outlook as high as +20% was in Q4 2006.
Employers in all 13 industries report double-digit hiring intentions with the most optimistic Outlooks reported in Leisure & Hospitality (+27%) as consumers continue to spend. Employers in Professional & Business Services are also optimistic with +24% Outlook, increasing the demand for workers with specialized skills. Prospects look healthy for job seekers in Wholesale & Retail Trade (+23%) and active in Transportation & Utilities, (+22%) ahead of the holiday season. Employers in Financial Activities, which includes roles in banking, insurance and real estate, are reporting the sector’s weakest Outlook in two years at +13%, after business investments fell in Q2. Some signs of softening appear in Manufacturing with reduced yet still positive hiring plans quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year.
For the coming quarter in Michigan, employers expect to hire at an active pace of 22%. Among employers surveyed, 24% plan to hire more employees from October through December. This number is offset by the 2% that plan to reduce payrolls, while 73% of employers expect to maintain current staff levels and 1% indicate they are not sure of their hiring plans.
“We’re still in a time of unprecedented opportunity for U.S. workers as there are more open jobs than there are people actively seeking work,” said Becky Frankiewicz, President of ManpowerGroup North America. “While the global economic landscape is increasingly uncertain, employers still intend to hire across all industries. Businesses are staying focused on growth and we’ve seen more commit to investing in upskilling their people – that is, teaching them new skills for future jobs – in the last two months than we have in the last two years. We’re advising clients on how to align these training programs with future roles, creating career pathways to help people stay employable for the long-term.”
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 December 10, 2019 to report hiring expectations for Quarter 1 2020. Sign up here to receive email notification when the survey is available each quarter.
Source: manpowergroup.us/MEOS/
