Area Development
Positive yet cautious hiring intentions are expected to persist in the United States throughout the summer, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today by ManpowerGroup.

Of the over 18,000 employers participating in the "Net Employment Outlook for Quarter 3 2011" survey, 20 percent anticipate an increase in staff levels in their third quarter 2011 hiring plans, 69 expect no change, and 8 percent expect a decrease in payrolls. When seasonally adjusted, the Net Employment Outlook equals +8 percent.

Still, Manpower's data shows one in five employers plan to add staff in the next three months, "the highest ratio we've seen since the recovery started," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup president of the Americas. "As more employers shift to hiring mode, we are starting to see talented job seekers receive multiple employment offers, and also negotiate for higher salaries. As hiring momentum slowly builds, the talent supply and demand challenges.will impact hiring trends. Employers may want to hire, but they will struggle to find the right person, in the right place, which will bring a level of urgency to developing new recruiting and training strategies."

Four trends emerged in the survey results:


Prising noted this is the eleventh consecutive quarter with a single-digit Net Employment Outlook. His analysis? "[That indicates] a level of caution not seen among employers in the last 30 years of data," said the executive. "This fact, along with many clouds still on the economic horizon, may explain the tepid labor market growth we have seen so far."