CWS 3.0: June 10, 2015

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Economic roundup: Employment indicators

A summary of employment and economic statistics as reported by applicable government agencies.

Employment.

United States. Total nonfarm employment rose by 280,000 in May and the unemployment rate remained essentially unchanged at 5.5%, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in its monthly jobs report released June 5. Temporary help services employment added 20,100 jobs during the month. The temporary penetration rate increased from 2.04% to 2.05%, marking a new all-time high.

Meanwhile, the number of US job openings rose 5.2% in April from March to almost 5.4 million, according to seasonally adjusted numbers. April had the highest level of job openings since the series began in December 2000.

The number of hires edged down 1.6% in April to about 5.0 million.

Canada. Employment in Canada rose by 58,900 in May from April, driven by gains in the number of private sector employees, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by Statistics Canada. Since the beginning of 2015, employment gains have averaged 20,500 per month

European Union. The unemployment rate across the 28 member states of the European Union was 9.7% in April 2015, stable compared with March 2015 but down from 10.3% in April 2014, according to the latest figures from Eurostat, the statistical body of the European Union.

Unemployment across the 19 Eurozone countries was 11.1% in April 2015, down from 11.2% in March 2015 and down from 11.7% in April 2014.

Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rate in April 2015 was recorded in Germany (4.7%), and the highest were in Greece (25.4% in February 2015) and Spain (22.7%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate in April 2015 fell in 22 member states and increased in six. The largest decreases were registered in Spain (down from 24.9% to 22.7%), Lithuania (down from 11.1% to 8.9%) and Ireland (down from 11.8% to 9.7%).

Increases were registered in Belgium (up from 8.4% to 8.5%), Romania (up from 6.8% to 6.9%), Austria (up from 5.5% to 5.7%), France (up from 10.1% to 10.5%), Croatia (up from 17.1% to 17.5%), and Finland (up from 8.5% to 9.4%).

Projections

According to ManpowerGroup’s third-quarter 2015 Manpower employment outlook survey, US employers expect to increase hiring in the third quarter. Their hiring intentions are exceeded only by employers in Taiwan, India, Japan and Hong Kong.

Americas. Employers in nine of the 10 countries in the Americas expect to grow staffing levels in Q3 2015. However, in a pattern echoed elsewhere across the globe, opportunities for jobseekers are expected to be less abundant in the region than they were both last quarter and last year at this time.

In the US, 24% expect to increase staff levels, the highest percentage of employers adding staff since the third quarter of 2008. Four percent expect to reduce workforce levels, 70% anticipate making no change and the remaining 2% are undecided, for a net employment outlook of 16% on a seasonally adjusted basis. This outlook is unchanged from the second-quarter’s net employment outlook and up two percentage points from last year’s third-quarter outlook.

In Canada, 20% of employers expect to increase staffing levels, 5% anticipate a decrease, 74% forecast no change and 1% are unsure. This results in a net employment outlook of 9% on a seasonally adjusted basis, a one percentage point decrease from both the second-quarter outlook and the outlook in the third quarter of 2014.

EMEA. Job prospects are expected to hold firm throughout most of the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region. Across the 24 countries in the EMEA region, employers in 23 report positive third-quarter forecasts. Employers in 11 countries report stronger forecasts than the same time last year, with weaker hiring intentions in 10 countries.

The strongest hiring pace is reported in Turkey, where employer optimism remains upbeat despite the Net Employment Outlook dipping to its weakest level since the survey launched in Q1 2011. Italy’s negative forecast is the weakest across the region and the globe.

APAC. Across Asia Pacific, the pace of hiring is expected to remain hot in Taiwan and stay strong in Japan next quarter. Positive hiring plans are reported in each of the eight countries and territories, but are generally softer when compared to results from the previous quarter and last year.

Employers in Taiwan and India report the most optimistic hiring intentions in the region and across the globe, while the weakest hiring pace in the region is expected in Australia.