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:
- 2011 gains holding steady: Since first quarter 2011, when the Net Employment Outlook jumped to +8 percent from +5 percent the previous quarter, hiring expectations have remained consistent.
- Positive hiring intentions across U.S.: Employers in all 50 states report positive hiring intentions, and 42 of them said they expect considerable increases in the typically strong third quarter. Of the 100 Metropolitan Statistical Areas surveyed, 99 percent report positive employment Outlooks.
- Seven straight quarters of employment growth: Since first quarter 2010, employers have reported a positive overall hiring outlook in each survey, according to seasonally adjusted data.
- Many sectors gaining Momentum: Employers in 9 of 13 industries surveyed nationally report the strongest overall outlook within their sectors since first quarter 2009.
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."