Manpower: Hiring Up in Q2

Manpower Inc’s quarterly Employment Outlook Survey of 16,000 companies found 28% of US employers plan on adding to headcount-in from April to June. The vast majority of employers (62%), though, expect no change in hiring, while 6% expect a decrease in job prospects and 4% are uncertain.

When seasonal variations are removed from the survey results, projections for the second quarter are especially impressive measured against the first quarter. To start the year, only 20% of employers forecast hiring at their company (See Manpower: Employers Expect to Hire in Q1 ). Looking back to last year, the current projection is nearly twice as strong.

Manpower’s Chairman & CEO Jeffery Joerres also sees positive signs in the numbers.“Based on the hiring intentions that were reported across a majority of the companies surveyed, it is clear that demand for their products and services has finally surpassed the capacity and productivity of the current workforce,”said Joerres in a news release.

Industry Outlook

The positive outlook is uniform, as employers in all 10 industry sectors estimate that their second quarter hiring activity will be brighter than it was last quarter. Additionally,hiring is expected to improve across each of the four US regions, particularly in the South, Manpower found.

Leading the other sectors when seasonal variations are removed is the construction industry, which anticipates hiring 28% more workers in the coming quarter. This is followed by wholesale & retail trade (23%) and services (21%).

Other seasonally adjusted hiring forecasts for the second quarter include:

• Manufacturing – Durables (19%)
• Manufacturing – Non-Durables (18%)
• Transportation & Public Utilities (16%)
• Finance, Insurance & Real Estate (16%)
• Mining (14%)
• Education (8%)
• Public administration (9%).

For more information or to obtain the full report, visit Manpower’s Web site at www.manpower.com .