Most optimistic New Year jobs
Outlook on record
- Q1 jobs confidence equals Q1 2003 high
- Record Finance and Business Services jobs confidence
Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Q1 2005
Employers in the UK are expressing their strongest
New Year hiring intentions since records began, with a Net Employment
Outlook¹ of +14%, according to the latest Manpower Employment
Outlook Survey. When seasonal variations are taken into account,
the outlook improves to +18%². For the second consecutive quarter,
the Finance and Business Services sector continues to drive optimism
across the UK, with employers reporting a Net Employment Outlook
of +24% - the most optimistic outlook for this sector since 1998.
Mark Cahill, managing director at Manpower, says: “The fact
that UK employers are reporting their highest New Year levels of
confidence since 1998 is great news. These figures are extremely
positive, particularly as the first three months of the year are
traditionally a quieter time for recruitment, as companies scale
back after Christmas. With low levels of unemployment, it is very
much a jobseekers’ market and the opportunity is there for
candidates to develop their experience and skills. In this climate,
employers need to continue to review recruitment procedures and
benefits packages in order to attract the best candidates.”
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey measures employer-hiring
intentions for the quarter ahead: January to March 2005. 2,100 UK
employers were surveyed in the UK and over 35,000 employers in 19
countries and territories globally. The Net Employment Outlook for
the UK in Q1 is +14%. When seasonal variations are taken into account,
the outlook improves to +18%.
Continues Cahill: “The Finance and Business Services sector
continues to perform well. Some jobs in this sector are moving out
of the capital to the regions and the data reflects this. Results
for London are reserved yet still positive -with a balance of +5%
of employers looking to take on staff in Q1. Employers in the Transport
and Communications sector are also optimistic. The increased interest
in 3G services could account for the Outlook of +22% - well above
the national average.”
Across the UK, eight of the nine industry sectors surveyed by Manpower
are planning to take on staff next quarter. Employers in Finance
and Business Services (up 13 percentage points year on year); Transport
and Communications (up nine percentage points year on year); Community
and Social (up four percentage points year on year), all reported
figures above the national average. The Agriculture sector is the
only sector to expect cutbacks with a Net Employment Outlook of
-12% - a decline of four percentage points over the last quarter
and a year-on-year decrease of nine percentage points.
Employers in eleven of the twelve regions surveyed intend to take
on more staff in the quarter ahead. Employers in the North East
are the most optimistic with 28% of employers looking to expand
their workforce – an increase of 11 percentage points over
the year. Conversely, employers in London, the North West, West
Midlands and the Eastern regions are the least optimistic: all four
regions are reporting Net Employment Outlooks below the national
average.
Of the 11 European countries surveyed, employers in all but Germany
(-6%) and Italy (-1%) recorded positive hiring intentions. The strongest
hiring intentions in Europe are reported in Ireland (+15%) UK and
Norway (+12%), while hiring is expected to be less robust in Sweden
(+5%), and Belgium (+5%).
Looking at the results from a global level, 17 of the 19 countries
and territories surveyed by Manpower anticipate positive Net Employment
Outlooks for the three months ahead. Employers in New Zealand (+30%)
and Hong Kong (+26%) report the most buoyant forecasts. Employers
in 12 of the 19 countries expect more hiring compared to this time
last year.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
¹A ‘Net Employment Outlook’ is calculated by subtracting
those employers who plan to reduce staffing levels from those who
plan to hire staff. A positive result indicates that more employers
plan to increase rather than decrease staffing levels; a negative
result reflects the opposite. [% increase (21%) - % decrease (5%)
= 16%]
²Seasonally adjusted figures are those that have been modified
to take into account variations in figures that can occur due to
the seasons, i.e. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
For international comparisons and visual library with graphs, visit
www.manpower.com.
About the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey
Manpower is a leading recruiter of permanent, temporary and contract
workforces, employing around 100,000 people in the UK each year.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, [formerly Manpower’s
Quarterly Survey of Employment Prospects] is conducted quarterly
to measure employers’ hiring intentions for the forthcoming
quarter. Unique in its predictive nature, the Survey is widely used
in Government and industry, including The Bank of England’s
Monetary Policy Committee as evidence of labour market activity.
The Survey has been running for more than 40 years and is based
on 2,500 interviews with public and private employers in the UK
and 35,000 interviews collectively across 18 countries worldwide.
See www.manpower.com for global reports.
About Manpower
Manpower is the UK’s leading workforce management company,
specialising in permanent and temporary recruitment, HR services,
managed services, outsourcing and HR consultancy.
Manpower has been established in the UK since 1956 and today works
with organisations in both the public and private sector. Manpower’s
UK-wide network of 300 offices allows the company to meet the needs
of local and national customers. This includes numerous small and
medium sized enterprises, as well as larger organisations such as
BMW, BT, Heinz, Hertfordshire County Council, IBM, National Blood
Service, New Deal South Wales, Royal Mail and Xerox.
The focus of Manpower’s work is on raising productivity through
improved quality, efficiency and cost-reduction, enabling customers
to concentrate on their core business.
Manpower has a highly skilled workforce of 100,000 temporary employees
who stay loyal to the company (and its customers) thanks to best
in class employment benefits. These include a contract of employment
and a free e-learning tool offering staff over 1,000 courses in
a diverse range of subjects, keeping Manpower’s workforce
up to date with today’s ever-changing working environment.
For further information, please contact the Manpower Press Office
on 020 8870 2214. Or you can e-mail us by selecting Press
Office from the Contact
Us page.
