U.S. employer hiring confidence is staying strong in the second quarter of 2018 as one in five plan to grow their workforce in the three months ahead. The seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook for Q2 2018 is +18%, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey of more than 11,500 U.S. employers.
Employers in all four regions in the U.S. report a positive hiring outlook for the second quarter. By region, the Outlooks are: Midwest (+20%), Northeast (+17%), South (+18%), West (+19%). Hiring prospects year-over-year are slightly stronger in the Midwest (+4% Year-over-year) and the Northeast (+2 %year over year). Employers in the South and the West report relatively stable hiring intentions when compared with the second quarter of 2017.
For the coming quarter, employers in Wisconsin (+30%), New Hampshire (+30%), Alaska (+29%), Maine (+29%) and Colorado (+27%) report the strongest Employment Outlooks. Of the 100
largest metropolitan statistical areas, the strongest job prospects are expected in Provo, Utah (+32%); San Antonio, Texas (+32%); Madison, Wis. (+30%); Columbia, S.C. (29%); Seattle, Wash. (+29%); and Syracuse, N.Y. (+29%).
“We’re seeing solid, demand-fueled growth across the U.S. as the economy continues to strengthen and the labor market tightens at pace,” said Becky Frankiewicz, president of ManpowerGroup North America. “The competition for skilled talent is set to heat up and a just-in-time approach isn’t always getting employers the skills they need when they need them. Now is the time to invest in people by upskilling America’s workers. We should also seek untapped talent sources with adjacent skillsets that can adapt to fill in-demand positions.”
Organizations are planning to add staff across all 13 industry sectors in the second quarter – including nonprofits. The nonprofit sector is expected to to pick up hiring by nearly 13 percent over the second quarter of 2017. Employers report the strongest hiring intentions in Leisure & Hospitality (+28%). Strong Outlooks for Professional & Business Services (+24%) and Wholesale & Retail Trade (+23%) point to demand-driven growth in line with increased wages.
Complete results for the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey are available for download at www.manpowergroup.us/meos.
