Employers plan to continue adding new hires through the second quarter of 2006, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, conducted quarterly by Manpower Inc.
"The U.S. job market has been growing at a safe, incremental pace in recent years, and Manpower's survey data highlights the comfort zone that has emerged from this climate," said chairman and chief executive Jeffrey A. Joerres, in a statement. "Employers have reported similar levels of hiring for nine quarters now, which tells us that they are not willing to throw off the equilibrium with radical shifts in hiring."
Of the 16,000 U.S. employers surveyed in the seasonally-adjusted report, 30 percent predicted an increase in hiring activity for the second quarter of 2006, while 6 percent expected a reduction in payrolls. Fifty-eight percent reported no change in hiring plans, and 6 percent have yet to determine their staffing needs.
Employers in the majority of industry sectors planned little change in hiring, including the finance industry. The hiring outlook for major U.S. regions mirrors first quarter projections -- staffing plans for the Northeast, Midwest, South and West are all expected to remain consistent through June, when the next survey will be released.
In addition to the United States, the survey is conducted in 23 other countries and territories, gathering data from more than 47,000 employers.
