The jobs outlook remains strong for the second quarter of 2017, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.
22 percent of employers plan to add staff between April and June, and the Leisure & Hospitality sector reported the strongest second quarter hiring intentions, with 28 percent of employers planning to add jobs. Overall, of the 11,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 73 percent expect no change in hiring plans and only three percent of employers expect workforce reductions. The Net Employment Outlook for Quarter 2 2017 is +17 percent, relatively stable compared to the previous quarter and one year ago, taking into account seasonal variations.
Other strong sectors for hiring included Wholesale & Retail Trade (+21%), Transportation & Utilities (+20%) and Professional & Business Services (+19%).
"U.S. employers have a positive Outlook for the coming quarter as the country waits to understand how the new administration's policies will come into effect," said Michael Stull, senior vice president, Manpower North America.
All regions in the U.S. are optimistic about their hiring plans in Q2 2017.
- Quarter over quarter, U.S. employers in the Midwest, South and West expect hiring to remain relatively stable, while employers in the Northeast expect a slight decrease in hiring.
- Compared to Q2 2016, employers in the West report a slightly stronger Outlook, while employers in the Northeast, Midwest and South anticipate a relatively stable hiring pace.
- For the coming quarter, employers in Montana, Colorado, Maine, Alaska, Hawaii and Michigan report the strongest Net Employment Outlooks. Of the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas, the strongest job prospects are expected in Nashville, TN; Provo, UT; Colorado Springs, CO; Fresno, CA; and Raleigh, NC.
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.