ManpowerGroup Finds Hiring Plans Up for Q4 2014

 The latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, released by ManpowerGroup, indicates momentum in hiring plans among U.S. employers for Quarter 4 2014, as U.S. employers report the strongest Net Employment Outlook since Q1 2008. The Q4 2014 Net Employment Outlook of +15 percent is up from +14 percent in Quarter 3 2014 and from +13 percent over the year.

Of the more than 18,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 19 percent anticipate an increase in staff levels in their Q4 hiring plans, while anticipated staff reductions are consistent with past fourth quarter results at 7 percent. Seventy-two percent of employers expect no change in their hiring plans. The final 2 percent of employers are undecided about their hiring intentions.

“During 2014, we have seen incremental growth across industries and regions as employers rebuild their internal teams and implement new operational strategies,” said ManpowerGroup CEO Jonas Prising. “The lack of any significant peaks or valleys in the survey results reflects a slow and steady climb that continues to define the employment landscape, and an enduring optimism that will carry us into 2015.”

U.S. employers anticipate hiring intentions to stay relatively stable quarter-over-quarter across all regions, and increase slightly compared to one year ago:

• Employers in the Midwest report a Net Employment Outlook of +15 percent; the strongest since Q4 2007.
• Employers in the South report a Net Employment Outlook of +15 percent; is the strongest since Q2 2008.
• Employers in the West report a Net Employment Outlook of +16 percent; the strongest since Q1 2008.

Employers have a positive Outlook in all 13 industry sectors included in the survey, with Leisure and Hospitality, Mining, and Wholesale and Retail Trade employers reporting the strongest hiring intentions.