About 24 percent of Wisconsin employers plan to hire in the fourth quarter, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
Another 69 percent plan to retain their current employment levels and 2 percent of employers are not sure of their hiring plans. This yields a Net Employment Outlook of 19 percent, far above the 9 percent Wisconsin Net Employment Outlook for the fourth quarter of 2013.
Wisconsin was among the top five states in the country in terms of Net Employment Outlook strength.
“For the fourth quarter, survey results show employers are less confident about job prospects compared to quarter three when the Net Employment Outlook was 23 percent,” said ManpowerGroup spokesperson Chris Layden. “Compared to one year ago when the Net Employment Outlook was 9 percent, employers anticipate a considerably stronger hiring pace.”
In the Midwest, the Net Employment Outlook is +15 percent for the fourth quarter, which is the strongest Midwestern reading since the fourth quarter of 2007, when it was +18 percent.
About 19 percent of U.S. employers plan to hire additional employees during the fourth quarter and 72 percent expect no change.
Fourth quarter staff reductions are expected to be the same as a year ago, at 7 percent. Another 2 percent of employers are unsure about their hiring outlook. The seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook is +15 percent, the best it has been since the first quarter of 2008, when it was +16 percent.
More than 18,000 U.S. employers were surveyed by Milwaukee-based ManpowerGroup for the outlook.
“During 2014, we have seen incremental growth across industries and regions as employers rebuild their internal teams and implement new operational strategies,” said ManpowerGroup CEO Jonas Prising. “The lack of any significant peaks or valleys in the survey results reflects a slow and steady climb that continues to define the employment landscape, and an enduring optimism that will carry us into 2015.”
