Global Labor Market Appears Stuck in Familiar Pattern; Few Signs of a Hiring Surge in July-September Time Frame
The majority of the employers participating in the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey indicate they will add to their workforces by varying degrees during the third-quarter. However, according to the global hiring confidence index released today by ManpowerGroup, the overall hiring pace is not expected to noticeably improve.
In fact, opportunities for job seekers are expected to be generally weaker from year-ago levels in the majority of labor markets. According to the more than 65,000 hiring managers surveyed for the quarterly research, hiring activity is expected to slow in 26 of the 42 countries and territories in comparison to the July-September time frame of 2012.
Once again, employers in emerging markets report the most optimistic hiring plans, with the strongest hiring expectations reported in Taiwan, Brazil, Panama, Peru and Turkey. The weakest markets for job seekers are expected in Italy, Ireland and Spain.
Other notable third-quarter findings include:
Europe Still Buffeted by Economic Headwinds: Although hiring expectations are positive in 13 of 24 countries in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, employers report negative hiring intentions in nine countries — the same number as in Q2. The Net Employment Outlook in France is negative for the first time in four years, and although the outlook in Greece remains negative, it continues to improve.
Asia-Pacific Employers Positive, But Hesitant: Workforces are expected to grow in all eight countries and territories in the region but employers in India report the weakest forecast since joining the survey eight years ago. China’s Outlook is the weakest in three-and-a-half years.
Positive Forecasts throughout the Americas with U.S. Employers Reporting Strongest Hiring Plans in Four Years: Employers in all 10 countries in the Americas expect to grow staffing levels in the coming quarter, with job prospects in Brazil, Panama and Peru among the strongest globally. Employers in Argentina, Canada and Costa Rica report the weakest prospects, while the overall percentage of U.S. employers expecting to hire in the third quarter is greater than at any point since before 2009.
For additional analysis please visit ManpowerGroup’s recently released Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Explorer tool, a new interactive way to examine and compare data from the countries and territories we survey. View the tool at: http://www.manpowergroupsolutions.com/DataExplorer/.
The global leader in innovative workforce solutions, ManpowerGroup releases the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. It is the longest running, most extensive, forward-looking employment survey in the world, polling over 65,000 employers in 42 countries and territories. The research serves as a bellwether of labor market trends and activities and is regularly used to inform the Bank of England’s Inflation Reports, as well as a regular data source for the European Commission, informing its EU Employment Situation and Social Outlook report the Monthly Monitor. ManpowerGroup’s independent survey data is also sourced by financial analysts and economists around the world to help determine where labor markets are headed.
To view full results for each of the 42 countries and territories included in the research, plus regional and global comparisons, visit the ManpowerGroup Web site at: http://manpowergroup.com/press/meos.cfm
