MILWAUKEE, June 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Most countries covered by the forward looking survey plan to increase headcount in Q3 2018, according to ManpowerGroup's (NYSE: MAN) latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey released today. Employers in 43 of 44 countries plan to add staff, with hiring confidence strongest in Croatia, Taiwan, Japan, Hungary and the U.S. Hiring intentions strengthen in 19 countries when compared to the previous quarter, including China, Singapore, India and Sweden. Employers in Italy report the weakest hiring prospects, followed by Panama and Spain.

View complete Q3 2018 survey results: www.manpowergroup.com/meos

"We are seeing optimism from business leaders across the world because of an improving global economy, with better growth prospects and stronger business performance," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup Chairman & CEO. "Employment levels are growing in many countries and the quarter ahead looks bright for jobseekers, as long as they have the right blend of technical and soft skills employers are looking for today. To support those people that do not have the right skills, and fill open positions faster, employers need to build talent through targeted upskilling and re-skilling programs. This will identify people's adjacent skills, help them transition into new or emerging roles and enable employers to bridge increasing talent shortages."

Of over 59,000 employers surveyed across 44 countries and territories, confidence levels have strengthened year-on-year in 24 countries, weakened in 12 and remained the same in seven.

Global Hiring Plans by Region

EMEA: Staffing levels are expected to grow in 25 of 26 countries surveyed in the EMEA region. French employers forecast the strongest hiring pace in 10 years. The only negative Outlook across all countries and territories surveyed is reported in Italy for the second quarter in a row (-2%).

• The Outlook in France (+5%) increases a percentage point quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year. The Manufacturing sector reports the strongest Outlook in more than five years.
• Italy and Spain report the lowest and third-lowest global hiring intentions, respectively, at -2% and 3%. Political turmoil in both countries – a snap election in Italy and no-confidence vote in Spain – have left employers treading with caution.
• As the Brexit vote reaches its two-year anniversary, hiring confidence among UK employers remains relatively stable (+4%), with employers in seven of the nine industry sectors planning to add staff and the most optimistic hiring plans reported in the Utilities sector.
• Employers reporting the strongest Outlooks are in Croatia (+29%) followed by Hungary (+19%), and Greece (+15%),

Asia Pacific: Employers in all eight countries and territories expect staffing levels to increase. Hiring sentiment is strongest in Japan (+26%) followed closely by Taiwan (+24%). In India the Outlook remains favourable at +17% with no employers reporting plans to decrease staff.

• Japanese employers continue to report strong hiring intentions as healthy export volumes and wage growth fuel optimistic hiring plans
• India's hiring intentions remain relatively stable at +17% for the past two quarters. The strongest industry Outlooks are reported by employers in Services and Wholesale & Retail Trade.
• In China, employers report the most optimistic hiring Outlook in three years (+11%) with employers across all six industry sectors planning to add staff.
• Solid workforce gains are forecast to continue in Taiwan with an Outlook of +24%. Finance, Insurance & Real Estate, and Manufacturing report the strongest Outlooks in the country at a sector level, with an Outlook of +31%.

Americas: Positive Outlooks are reported in all 10 countries surveyed, with the U.S. seeing the region's most upbeat forecast (+18%).

• In the U.S., employers report the most optimistic Outlook for the Construction industry in 11 years, followed by Leisure & Hospitality. Employers in the South report the most positive Outlook in a decade.
• Canadian employers continue to report positive hiring intentions (+13%) with year-over-year gains across all regions, organization sizes and most sectors.
• In Mexico, employers report positive forecasts across all sectors, regions and organization sizes, yet hiring expectations are slowing compared to a year ago (+11% vs. +14%). The most favourable hiring plans are reported in Mining & Extraction, Manufacturing, and Transportation.

To view complete results for the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, visit www.manpowergroup.com/meos. The next survey will be released 11 Sept. 2018 and will report hiring expectations for Q4 2018. To receive the latest survey results each quarter, sign up here.

*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.

**No comparable data is available due to Croatia being added to the survey for the first time in Q2 2018. Croatia's Outlook has not been seasonally adjusted.

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across 80 countries and territories and has done so for 70 years. In 2018, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the ninth year and one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies for the sixteenth year, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup is powering the future of work: www.manpowergroup.com

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SOURCE ManpowerGroup

Danielle Switalski, +1 (414) 248-7431, danielle.switalski@manpowergroup.com, or Emma Kirby, +44 7787 434 678, Emma.kirby@manpowergroup.com