As we head into the second quarter (Q2) of 2019, one thing that remains the same is the positive hiring trend employers continue to report, with the leisure and hospitality industry continuing to lead the way in positive hiring intentions.
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Demand for skilled talent continues to grow as employers across the U.S. are reporting positive hiring intentions nationwide (+19%) across all 50 states, according to the Q2 2019 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.
This is the seventh consecutive year of double-digit hiring Outlooks in the U.S., according to the survey of more than 11,500 U.S. employers. The Q2 2019 Employment Outlook comes after the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ January jobs report marked 100 months of consecutive job growth in America with approximately 19 million gains since October 2010.
“As U.S. employers continue to report double-digit hiring Outlooks, demand for talent is growing across the board from cyber security experts and data analysts to delivery drivers needed to keep up with 24/7 online retail,” says Becky Frankiewicz, President of ManpowerGroup North America—in a press release.
Industries with Positive Hiring Intentions
Employers in all 13 industry sectors report optimistic hiring plans with the strongest Outlooks reported in leisure and hospitality, transportation and utilities (both +25%), and wholesale and retail trade (+24%) as consumers dine out and demand immediate delivery from groceries to fast fashion.
Employers in professional and business services have a +23% employment Outlook fueled by growing demand for knowledge workers with the right balance of human strengths including communication and collaboration and technical capabilities from coding to data analytics. Positive hiring outlooks are also being forecasted for the following industries:
- Mining (+19%),
- Construction (+19%),
- Durable goods manufacturing (+19%), and
- Nondurable Goods Manufacturing (+17%).
“It’s a skilled worker’s market. The best employers are reviewing the difference between what is desired in a role and what is required for a job,” adds Frankiewicz. “In the tech sector, we see a higher number of Java openings requiring computer science degrees than there are graduates. The most successful employers are re-evaluating the precise experience and education truly required to get the job done and as a result they’re attracting the best, and often more diverse, talent to the organization.”
Hiring Plans by Region and Metro Area/State
Both the South and the West have the highest regional Outlooks (+20%) in the country. Hiring prospects in the Midwest (+19%) are a close second with employers in the Northeast (+18%) not far behind. In the Midwest (+20%), Northeast (+18%) and West, the Outlook is up a percentage point (+20%) year-over-year and up two percentage points in the South.
Employers in Indiana (+33%), Maine (+33%), Alaska (+28%), Colorado (+27%), Kansas (+26%), North Carolina (+26%), and Oregon (+26%) report the strongest Outlooks nationwide. Of the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas, the strongest job gains are expected in Greensboro, North Carolina (+35%); Denver, Colorado (+34%); Indianapolis, Indiana (+33%); Sacramento, California (+32%); Albany, New York (+31%); Deltona, Florida (+31%); and Madison, Wisconsin. (31%).
*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.