Employment prospects improve in US | WPN World People News

The US employers are increasingly willing to hire across regions and industries, unlike in two-thirds of the countries surveyed by temporary-staffing company Manpower Inc.

Third-quarter 2012 Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released Tuesday indicated that hiring activity is expected to slow from last year at this time in two-thirds of the countries and territories surveyed.

The survey reveals few clear signs of notable traction in the labor market, and employers are evidently adopting an intermittent hiring approach in response to economic uncertainty both at home and abroad.

"In labor markets around the world, we are seeing companies hire in a start-stop mode with no real consistency," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup.

"There is no doubt that the ongoing concerns and uncertainty in Europe continue to weigh on the minds of employers in the global labor market and four consecutive quarters of softening in our German data reflect this," said Joerres.

Bucking the trend, while US job prospects continue to improve, employers in India have posted one of their most optimistic forecasts on record, states the report.

Commenting on the US outlook, Joerres said it "represents two straight years of steady improvement and while we haven't seen meaningful job creation yet, there are more opportunities for job seekers with the right skills."

On the other hand, the German labor market is expected to lose steam in the quarter ahead after defying the declining trend in Europe for more than a year.

Research shows employers in 33 of 41 countries and territories surveyed expect varying degrees of positive hiring activity for the third quarter, with those in 32 labor markets anticipating relatively stable or improved hiring activity compared to the second quarter.

However, compared to one year ago, job prospects have weakened in 26 countries and territories, and improved or remain relatively stable in 19.

Bucking the trend, the survey of over 18,000 employers in the US found than 21 per cent plan to hire more staff in the third quarter, up from 18 per cent in the previous quarter.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the survey found a rise in optimism in the net employment outlook to11 per cent, up from 10 per cent in the previous quarter, marking the 11th straight quarter of increased confidence in hiring.

"While slow and sometimes frustrating, job growth has proven to be sustainable, and the data shows a solid foundation is in place for continued progress," said Jonas Prising, president of the Americas for ManpowerGroup.

The positive trend was seen across all 50 states. Alaska remains a leader in hiring optimism. The U.S. hiring is being led by demand in the leisure and hospitality and professional business services sectors, the report states.

The number of employers planning to decrease their staff levels was roughly flat from the second quarter, at 6 per cent, but down from 8 per cent a year earlier. About 71 per cent had no plans to change their staff levels, compared with 72 per cent in the previous quarter and 69 per cent in the year-ago period.

Worldwide, employer hiring expectations are weakest in Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Hungary.

Source: United States News.Net