According to the results of the most-recent, often-cited survey by Manpower, “U.S. employers anticipate favorable hiring plans for Quarter 3 2010”.
Manpower surveyed over 18,000 U.S. employers across all states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, regarding their hiring intentions in Quarter 3 (Q3). The survey included the top 100 metropolitan statistical areas and 13 industry “supersectors” that are representative of the U.S. economy.
Of the employers surveyed:
- 18% anticipated increasing staff levels
- 8% expected to reduce staff levels
- 70% anticipated no change in hiring
- 4% were undecided about hiring
Doing the math shows a net hiring outlook of 10% for Q3 (July-September). When adjusted for seasonal events that affect employment numbers, it drops to 6%; but, that’s still better than in Q3 a year ago, when Manpower’s survey showed a seasonally-adjusted net hiring outlook of -2%.
The rise in the net hiring outlook from a year ago is promising, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement. Jonas Prising, Manpower President of the Americas, put it this way:
“Although we are still facing a difficult labor market, more employers indicate confidence about the direction of their businesses, and with that comes an intention to increase their workforces. We are in the early stages of the jobs recovery, and although we have a long way to go, the job market will continue to improve from here.”
Did you know? The economy added a whopping 431,000 jobs in May 2010, while the national unemployment rate edged back down to 9.7%. Unfortunately, most of the job gains were only temporary census jobs that will soon disappear.
Manpower’s survey indicated that employers in 11 of the 13 industry supersectors expect positive net hiring in July-September 2010, as shown below. The percentages enclosed in parenthesis indicate the net hiring outlook (not seasonally adjusted).
- Construction (8%)
- Education & Health Services (-2%)
- Financial Activities (11%)
- Government (-2%)
- Information (10%)
- Leisure & Hospitality (20%)
- Manufacturing - Durable Goods (9%)
- Manufacturing – Nondurable Goods (12%)
- Mining (17%)
- Other Services (8%)
- Professional & Business Services (15%)
- Transportation & Utilities (9%)
- Wholesale & Retail Trade (15%)
The survey also indicated that employers in the four U.S. regions in which they were surveyed anticipated relatively stronger net hiring in July-September 2010 compared to a year ago (not seasonally adjusted).
- Midwest (11%)
- Northeast (12%)
- South (8%)
- West (7%)
Did you know? If you’ve lost your job or suffered a reduction in work hours, then you might be eligible for full or partial unemployment compensation through the unemployment office in your work state. You might also have the right to continue your employer-provided group health insurance coverage through COBRA. To look for a new job, start at the Job Search page.
Manpower, a global leader in employment services, publishes such surveys quarterly. For the most recent quarterly surveys about hiring in the U.S. and other countries as well, visit Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
