From the Robust to the Uncertain: Hiring Plans Vary Significantly in Markets Across the Globe

MILWAUKEE, June 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Employers in 18 countries report more optimistic hiring prospects than the previous quarter according to the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey (NYSE: MAN) of 60,000 employers in 44 countries.* The greatest quarter-over-quarter improvements are reported in Slovenia, Turkey, Australia and Brazil while employers in Germany, Belgium and Hong Kong report weaker yet still positive outlooks since Q2. 

Employers in the majority of EMEA countries are predicting modest hiring Outlooks with improved hiring plans expected by employers in Slovenia, Turkey, Norway, Bulgaria and Romania while the remaining 21 markets remain flat or decline. Hungary is the only market of the 44 surveyed showing negative hiring intentions for the three months ahead. Employers across the Americas and Asia Pacific region report some of the most optimistic Outlooks globally with the U.S. reporting the strongest Outlook in 13 years (+21%), Australia the strongest in seven years (+14%) and Brazil the strongest in 5 years (+11%).

"We're seeing significant variation across global labor markets," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup Chairman & CEO. "Employers in Europe plan modest yet varied hiring as uncertainty and unpredictability around trade wars and Brexit continues, while in the U.S. and some parts of the Asia Pacific region organizations are planning to hire at levels we haven't seen for many years. Overall, employers around the world are increasingly looking for specific technical and soft skills and are struggling to fill both temporary and permanent positions. Leaders across all industries are focused on the need to upskill people in short cycles at speed and at scale to ensure they have the talent they need when they need it."

View complete Q3 2019 survey results: www.manpowergroup.com/meos

Global Hiring Plans by Region

EMEA: The strongest Outlooks reported in Croatia (+23%), Greece and Slovenia (+20%) with hiring in many of the region's larger economies remaining stable.

• Quarter-over-quarter hiring intentions weaken in 14 countries, remain flat in 7 and increase in 5.
• Hiring intentions in Germany are slightly down on a quarterly and yearly basis, driven by a dip in hiring prospects reported by Manufacturing, Finance, Insurance, Real Estate & Business Services sector employers.
• Hungary is the only country of 44 surveyed expecting to reduce the number of employees over the next quarter (-2%), a two-percentage point decline since Q2.

Americas: All 10 countries in the region expect to increase their headcount with the U.S. reporting an Outlook of +21%, the strongest in 13 years.

• Employers plan strong summer hiring in the U.S. led by Professional & Business Services, Leisure & Hospitality and Transportation & Utilities. Regionally, the West (+22%) and the Midwest (+21%) have the most optimistic regional Outlooks and the highest reported Outlooks in 11 and 18 years, respectively. 
• Brazilian employers report their strongest Outlook in five years (+11%). Positive hiring is anticipated in all eight industry sectors and all five regions with the strongest reported in Agriculture, Fishing & Mining, Finance, Insurance & Real Estate and the Wholesale & Retail Trade.
• In Mexico employers predict the weakest yet still positive quarterly Outlook in more than two years (+10%), driven by weakening hiring sentiment in the Agriculture, Fishing and Commerce sectors are prevalent in Mexico.

Asia Pacific: The Asia Pacific region continues to have the highest Outlook globally with hiring prospects strongest in Japan (+25%) and Taiwan (+22%).

• Hiring sentiment in Japan is the strongest of all 44 countries (+25%) with employers planning to add headcount in all seven industry sectors and all three regions.
• Australian employers report their strongest hiring intentions in seven years (14%) fueled by the Transportation & Utilities and Services sectors.
• The employment Outlook in China remains relatively stable in comparison with the prior quarter, although Chinese employers report a slight decline year-over-year of -2%.

To view complete results for the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, visit: www.manpowergroup.com/meos. The next survey will be released 10 September 2019 and will report hiring expectations for Q4 2019. To receive the latest survey results each quarter, sign up here.

*The Net Employment Outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.

About ManpowerGroup 

ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across 80 countries and territories and has done so for over 70 years. In 2019, ManpowerGroup was named one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies for the seventeenth year and one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the tenth year, confirming our position as the most trusted brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup is powering the future of work: www.manpowergroup.com.

SOURCE ManpowerGroup