Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Shows Most Global Employers to Adopt Wait-and-See Approach to Hiring for Rest of Year

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Global hiring conditions are expected to remain stable for the remainder of 2013, but ManpowerGroup's (NYSE: MAN) fourth-quarter Manpower Employment Outlook survey, released today, reveals few signs that global hiring momentum will improve by any notable degree.

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This quarter's research of over 65,000 hiring managers across 42 countries and territories reveals:

• Employers in Fewer Countries Plan to Boost Payrolls: Employers in 29 of the 42 countries and territories surveyed plan to increase hiring by varying degrees during the fourth quarter, compared with 32 during the July-September timeframe. Hiring prospects are stronger in only 14 of 42 countries and territories when compared with the prior quarter, weaken in 19 and are unchanged in nine. Outlooks are stronger in 16 countries and territories when compared with one year ago at this time, but hiring plans weaken in 25 and are unchanged in one.
• U.S. Outlook Strongest in Over Five Years: The hiring outlook in the U.S. now stands at its strongest level since 2Q 2008 after steadily improving for four years, although still significantly below its previous peak in 2006. Staffing levels are expected to grow in all 13 industry sectors and all four regions. Quarter-over-quarter, hiring intentions weaken in 11 sectors but improve in two regions. When compared with 4Q 2012, hiring prospects strengthen in seven sectors and all four regions.
• Emerging Markets Lead the Way: Fourth-quarter hiring plans in India are the most optimistic across the globe, and are expected to rebound decisively following four consecutive quarters of relatively lackluster forecasts. After India, hiring prospects are strongest in Taiwan, Panama, Singapore and Brazil.
• Weakest Hiring Expectations in European Countries: The softest opportunities for job seekers are expected in Italy, Spain, Finland, Ireland and Hungary. Although the Eurozone is now technically out of recession, overall hiring intentions are slightly weaker in Europe. Employers forecast job gains in 10 of 23 countries in the fourth quarter, compared to 13 positive forecasts reported three months ago. Payroll cuts are expected in 10 countries — the same as in 3Q. Employers in Turkey report the region's most upbeat hiring plans, while the labor market recovery in Greece is forecast to continue.
• Upbeat Outlook in China and Japan: Chinese employers anticipate a respectable hiring pace for the rest of 2013, with outlooks unchanged quarter-over-quarter and relatively stable year-over-year. For the second consecutive quarter, Japanese employers report upbeat hiring intentions, with a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of +15%. Hiring prospects are four percentage points stronger when compared with 4Q 2012.

"There are encouraging signs from many parts of the world, including evidence of economic stability in Europe, and steady job creation and unemployment at a four-year low in the U.S., helping to reduce some of the uncertainty that has clouded the global economic environment," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO. "However, while those clouds are starting to break up, there is still not enough of a clear picture for employers to move out of wait-and-see-mode and commit to more aggressive full-time hiring.

"There needs to be further consistent improvement in the overall global picture before we will see noticeable, collective change. There are numerous pockets of momentum but, as yet, this has not proved to be consistent enough or sustained enough to translate into any meaningful breakthrough."

Indian employers anticipate hiring intentions strengthening by 16 and 22 percentage points quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year respectively. Elsewhere in Asia, employers expect to increase the workforce in all six industry sectors and all nine regions in China during 4Q 2013. It is a similar story in Japan, with staffing levels expected to grow in all sectors and regions. Tokyo employers report the most optimistic hiring plans since 3Q 2008, while the Osaka Outlook is the strongest since 2Q 2008. Conversely, the seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook in Australia is the weakest reported by employers in over four years.            

"Indian companies are grappling with talent shortages, with a serious gap between the skills companies need and those possessed by available applicants. Employability skills — such as collaboration and critical thinking — have become paramount as would-be employers become more exacting and demanding," said Darryl Green, ManpowerGroup President. "In response to these shortages, employers are increasingly turning to new methods of recruiting — tapping social networks to access hidden talent."

Employers in all 10 countries in the Americas once again anticipate growing staffing levels in the coming quarter. Employers in Panama forecast the region's strongest fourth-quarter hiring pace while those in Argentina report the least optimistic hiring plans. The outlook in the U.S. is the most optimistic reported since 2Q 2008, while the hiring pace in Brazil is expected to remain respectable through the end of the year despite a considerable decline in the Outlook year-over-year. Meanwhile, hiring activity is expected to continue at a steady pace in both Mexico and Canada.

"The rising demand for temporary employment in the U.S. reflects a new workforce strategy and is a good barometer of economic growth. Companies have grown accustomed to the continuing uncertainty and are changing the structure of how they conduct business," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup President. "The favorable hiring outlook and steady improvement in the U.S. labor market bodes well for 2014, although the speed of the recovery is still muted"

Turkish employers once again report the strongest hiring intentions in Europe, although the forecast declines by six percentage points quarter-over-quarter and three percentage points year-over-year. French employers report flat hiring intentions, while their German counterparts anticipate slow-paced hiring activity during the October-December timeframe. Employers remain cautiously optimistic in the U.K., but Italian employers expect the weakest labor market since the survey began in the country in 3Q 2003 and Spanish employers report their 22^nd consecutive quarter of negative hiring prospects. There is better news from Ireland — where hiring plans are three percentage points stronger both quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year — and Greece, where employers report the strongest Net Employment Outlook since 2Q 2010. 

"The Eurozone's emergence from recession and unemployment across 17 EU countries falling for the first time in two years are indicators, while not of robust growth coming out of Europe, at least of a bottoming out," added Green. "German employers continue to report a shortage of skilled labor, and a number of organizations are targeting their search for talent beyond Germany's borders and offering opportunities to older workers. To the west, demand for IT specialists remains strong in the Netherlands, with programming and development specialists sought after across many sectors."    

"Southern Europe remains extremely challenged in general, particularly Italy and Spain, but Turkey is the exception to the rule — despite hiring intentions there weakening from both last quarter and last year at this time," added Prising. "We also note a gradual uptick in Greece; employers in the Greater Athens region, for example report their first positive outlook in 15 quarters."   

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Explorer tool, a new interactive way to examine and compare ManpowerGroup's data, can be viewed at http://www.manpowergroupsolutions.com/DataExplorer/. The tool includes at-a-glance maps and graphs that plot historical and current global hiring trends. The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released on 10 December 2013 to report hiring expectations for the first quarter of 2014.            

About the Survey
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is the longest-running, most extensive, forward-looking employment survey in the world, commencing in 1962 and now polling over 65,000 employers in 42 countries and territories to measure their intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. The survey serves as a bellwether of labor market trends and activities and is regularly used to inform the Bank of England's Inflation Reports, as well as a regular data source for the European Commission, informing its EU Employment Situation and Social Outlook report the Monthly Monitor. ManpowerGroup's independent survey data is also sourced by financial analysts and economists around the world to help determine the health of labor markets.

About ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup™ (NYSE: MAN) is the world leader in innovative workforce solutions that ensure the talent sustainability of the world's workforce for the good of companies, communities, countries, and individuals themselves. Specializing in solutions that help organizations achieve business agility and workforce flexibility, ManpowerGroup leverages its 65 years of world of work expertise to create the work models, design the people practices and access the talent sources its clients need for the future. From staffing, recruitment, workforce consulting, outsourcing and career management to assessment, training and development, ManpowerGroup delivers the talent to drive the innovation and productivity of organizations in a world where talentism is the dominant economic system. Every day, ManpowerGroup connects more than 630,000 people to work and builds their experience and employability through its relationships with 400,000 clients across 80 countries and territories. ManpowerGroup's suite of solutions is offered through ManpowerGroup™ Solutions, Manpower®, Experis™ and Right Management®. ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the third consecutive year in 2013, confirming our position as the most trusted brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible at www.manpowergroup.com. Follow ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres on Twitter: Twitter.com/manpowergroupjj

SOURCE ManpowerGroup