US employers reported the strongest first-quarter hiring outlook in 10 years, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today by ManpowerGroup Inc. (NYSE: MAN). The US ranked among the strongest outlooks for hiring among 43 countries surveyed in the report. Other countries with strong hiring outlooks included Japan, Taiwan and India.

They survey included nearly 59,000 employers around the world.

“Employers across the globe and especially in the US, Asia Pacific and parts of Europe are positive across a number of sectors, and people with in-demand skills will find themselves in high demand,” said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup chairman and CEO. “Employers will need to work hard to attract and develop people with the skills they need to remain competitive.”

The survey data showed that 41 out of 43 countries forecast an increase in staffing levels. Outlooks among employers in Eastern Europe and Greece outpace those in Western Europe. Brexit concerns in the UK may be impacting employer confidence there as the overall forecast dipped to its weakest level since 2012.

In the US, ManpowerGroup’s survey found 21% of the more than 11,500 US employers surveyed plan to increase staff in the first quarter, but only 5% plan to decrease for a net employment outlook of 16%. When that is seasonally adjusted, the net employment outlook is 19%, the strongest outlook in the past decade.

First-quarter job prospects in the US transportation and utilities sector nationwide are the strongest reported since the survey started in the first quarter of 1982, while US employers in construction and the durable goods manufacturing sectors forecast the strongest outlooks in more than a decade.

“We’re seeing a renaissance in industries like construction and manufacturing in the US,” said Becky Frankiewicz, president of ManpowerGroup North America. “These are not the jobs of the past — many are highly skilled roles that will build America’s future. Strong hiring intentions tell us employers have positions to fill, yet we know they’re struggling to find people with the right skills to fill them.”

All regions in the US reported positive first-quarter hiring plans. In the Midwest, the outlook is the strongest reported since the beginning of 2001; hiring prospects remain stable in the other three regions.

Employers in Georgia, Florida, Hawaii and Utah report the strongest net employment outlooks.

ManpowerGroup’s employment outlook survey includes responses from more than 11,500 US employers.

Meanwhile, Canadian employers expect a “hopeful” hiring climate in the first quarter, with employers in the transportation and public utilities sector reporting the strongest job prospects, according to ManpowerGroup’s data for Canada. The Canada survey found 16% of employers expect to increase staffing levels, 8% anticipate cutbacks. This results in a net employment outlook of 11% on a seasonally adjusted basis, an increase of one percentage point from the outlooks for both the previous quarter and the outlook reported for the same quarter of the prior year.

“While the Canadian economy is expected to do well overall in 2018, many employers are adopting a cautious approach,” said Darlene Minatel, VP and general manager, Manpower Canada Operations. “Many companies are waiting to see the impact of higher interest rates and proposed minimum wage increases in some provinces. Bright spots remain however, especially in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.”

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