Global Hiring Intentions Mixed, but U.S. Remains Strong

Jobseekers rejoice, the job market continues to work in your favor. But for recruiters and hiring managers, the struggle to find top talent rages on. The hiring challenges are not just limited to the United State, however, as new survey findings reveal that global hiring intentions vary based on location.

Employers in 18 countries report more optimistic hiring prospects than the previous quarter according to the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey 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.
“We’re seeing significant variation across global labor markets,” says Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO—in a press release. “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” Prising adds. “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.”

Global Hiring Plans by Region

Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA): The strongest Outlooks are 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 seven and increase in five.
• 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 and 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 and Business Services; Leisure and Hospitality; and Transportation and 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 5 years (+11%). Positive hiring is anticipated in all eight industry sectors and all five regions with the strongest reported in Agriculture, Fishing, and Mining; Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate; and the Wholesale and Retail Trade.
• In Mexico, employers predict the weakest yet still positive quarterly Outlook in more than 2 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 7 years (14%) fueled by the Transportation and 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%.

“At a time of record low unemployment and employer optimism at levels we haven’t seen since the mid-2000s, we need to do more to connect people to jobs if we’re going to sustain economic growth,” says Becky Frankiewicz, President of ManpowerGroup North America. “With such strong competition for talent, skilled workers are choosing when, where and how they work. We find jobs for 275,000 workers every year and know flexibility, access to childcare and clear career paths are especially attractive benefits to women and men.”
“To find and retain top talent, the best companies are offering holistic benefits packages with accelerated training programs and opportunities to learn, earn more and move up so employees have the skills for jobs today and tomorrow,” Frankiewicz adds.
As employers across the globe struggle to attract and retain talent, upskilling your current workforce and providing the benefits employees need will go a long way when trying to win the war for talent.