US employers report the strongest second-quarter hiring outlook since 2009, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today by ManpowerGroup Inc. (NYSE: MAN).

Globally, employer hiring confidence for the second quarter is strongest in Taiwan, Japan, Slovenia, India, Hungary and the US. In Western Europe, employers are less confident about hiring intentions than the rest of the region; Italy, Belgium and Switzerland report some of the weakest outlooks worldwide.

ManpowerGroup’s survey found 22% of US employers plan to increase staff in the second quarter, up from 19% from the prior quarter’s forecast and unchanged from the second quarter of 2016; 3% plan to decrease staff, 73% expect no change in staff and 2% are undecided about their hiring intentions. This results in a net employment outlook of 17% when seasonally adjusted, an increase from 16% in both the first-quarter outlook and the outlook reported for Q2 2016.

"US 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 VP, Manpower North America. “We are also seeing an emerging positive outlook from manufacturing employers who are reporting some of their strongest hiring plans since the end of the recession. The sector is showing signs of entering a renaissance period, transforming itself to be higher tech and data driven, stepping up to the increased global competitiveness.”

Employers in Montana, Colorado, Maine, Alaska, Hawaii and Michigan report the strongest net employment outlooks.

Employers in all 13 industry sectors expect to add staff. The industries reporting the strongest hiring intentions are leisure and hospitality at 28%, wholesale and retail trade at 21%, transportation and utilities at 20% and professional and business services at 19%.

All regions in the US reported optimistic hiring plans for the second quarter. Employers in the West region reported the strongest seasonally adjusted outlook at 18%, followed by the South at 17%. The Midwest and Northeast reported seasonally adjusted outlooks of 16% and 15%, respectively.

Compared to one year ago at this time, hiring plans are relatively stable in the Midwest Northeast and South, and are slightly stronger in the West.

ManpowerGroup’s employment outlook survey includes responses from more than 11,000 US employers.

Canada hiring trends

Canadian employers anticipate a “moderate” hiring climate in the second quarter, with employers in the public administration sector reporting the strongest job prospects, according to ManpowerGroup’s data for Canada.

In Canada, 13% of employers expect to increase staffing levels, 3% anticipate cutbacks, 82% forecast no change and 2% are unsure about hiring plans. This results in a net employment outlook of 7% on a seasonally adjusted basis, a decrease of three percentage points from the first-quarter outlook but on par with the same quarter of last year.

“The second quarter of 2017 is expected to see modest gains for Canadian job seekers,” said Darlene Minatel, VP, Manpower Canada operations and strategic accounts. “Many companies, especially in the manufacturing sector, are taking a cautious approach until they see what effect political changes in the United States will have on the Canadian economy.”

Survey results for the second quarter of 2017 show that job seekers across Canada can expect varying levels of hiring activity. Employers in Ontario and Western Canada expect the most encouraging hiring climate for the coming quarter, with both regions forecasting a net employment outlook of 9%. Employers in Quebec anticipate a slow hiring pace, reporting an outlook of 4%, while job seekers in Atlantic Canada should plan for a reserved hiring climate, with employers there reporting an outlook of 3%.

The industry with the highest seasonally adjusted net employment outlook was public administration at 14%. The manufacturing – non-durables industry had the lowest seasonally adjusted net employment outlook at 2%.

ManpowerGroup’s employment outlook survey includes responses from more than 1,900 Canadian employers.