US Companies' Hiring Plans Strongest Since 2009, But Global Hiring Outlook Remains Mixed: Manpower Employment Outlook Survey

U.S. employers plan to hire more people this quarter than in any three-month period since 2009, according to a quarterly survey of employers, but overall, the global hiring outlook from July to September 2013 is mixed at best.

Twenty-two percent of American companies aim to hire in the coming quarter, according to international workforce consultancy ManpowerGroup’s (NYSE:MAN) quarterly survey.

The survey, which covers 65,000 hiring managers in 42 countries, also showed that the employment outlook improved in 14 countries but declined in 26 others.

The positive outlook in the U.S. is driven by the construction and hospitality industries, which predict growth in all 50 states, led notably by North Dakota.

“Compared to challenges faced by other parts of the world, the U.S. hiring situation is fairly robust as demand for products and services further improves,” said ManpowerGroup President Jonas Prising, in a statement.

But Europe and Asia fared worse than the U.S. in terms of their sentiment toward hiring.

The net employment outlook in France was negative for the first time in four years, and German employers are hesitating to hire right now. Hiring intentions in the Middle East, Africa and Europe, which are considered together as a single region, have the same outlook toward hiring as they did during the second quarter of 2013, the survey found.

The survey paints a picture of economic uncertainty in Europe, where outlooks declined from the last quarter and from last year, even though British and Greek recruitment is improving slowly.

“Europe shows a mixed picture by region, and southern Europe is extremely challenged,” said Prising.

Even Asian-Pacific employers show signs of hesitation and uncertainty, according to the survey.

China and India are hiring less, although Taiwan and Japan are planning to add staff to their collective payrolls.

Emerging markets are ahead of the pack again, according to the survey. Taiwan, Brazil, Panama, Peru and Turkey reported the strongest hiring expectations globally, while the worst places for job seekers were Italy, Ireland and Spain, for this coming quarter.

“Employers around the world are growing accustomed to unpredictable economic conditions,” said Jeffrey Joerres, ManpowerGroup CEO. He said that caution has translated into a “decidedly pedestrian global hiring pace.”

According to another key report earlier this month, fewer U.S. job cuts were planned in May than in recent months.

The U.S. economy saw 175,000 jobs created in May, the Labor Department said late last week, even as the unemployment rate ticked up slightly.