Dive Brief:
- Hiring is one the rise, as U.S. employers indicate a slight increase in hiring plans for the final three months of 2016, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today by ManpowerGroup.
- With seasonal variations factored into the mix, the Net Employment Outlook for Q4 2016 is plus-18%, matching the strongest post-recession Outlook reported in Quarter 4 2015. Also, the survey reveals hiring plans nationwide improved by three percentage points, compared to the previous quarter.
- Of the more than 11,000 U.S. employers surveyed, the survey found 22% of employers looking to increase staff levels in Q4 2016. Plus, employers in 13 key industry sectors expect payrolls to increase during Q4 2016, with Leisure & Hospitality (+30%), Wholesale & Retail Trade (+22%), Transportation & Utilities (+20%) and Professional & Business Services (+17%) employers reporting the strongest hiring intentions.
Dive Insight:
Based on the ManpowerGroup data, employers seem very optimistic. Even so, they continue to be challenged by not getting job candidates with the right skills. Even as the hiring outlook continues to improve, attracting and retaining skilled talent will remain difficult.
For example, ManpowerGroup reports hearing more about employers, such as AT&T and Marriott, that are adopting strategies to develop their existing employee skill sets while also competing to attract those with the most in-demand skills – especially in industries like IT and engineering, where employers are willing to raise the stakes to get the talent they need.
