ManpowerGroup Study Finds Continued Hiring Confidence

March 12, 2014 – U.S. employers report a seasonally adjusted net employment outlook of +13 percent, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released by ManpowerGroup. This is the third consecutive quarter with a net employment outlook of +13 percent, which is the strongest Outlook since the second quarter of 2008. Of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed, 19 percent anticipate an increase in staff levels in their second quarter hiring plans, while anticipated staff reductions are among the lowest in survey history at four percent. Seventy-three percent of employers expect no change in their hiring plans. “Although we expect measured, stable growth in new hiring for the coming quarter, the good news is that employers anticipate the lowest rate of workforce reductions in nearly four decades,” said Jonas Prising, president of ManpowerGroup. “With 92 percent of U.S. employers planning to hire or keep their staff levels steady, there is a sense of optimism that demand for goods and services is getting more predictable, allowing employers to feel more comfortable about business growth.”