– U.S. employers report strong hiring intentions for third consecutive quarter at +18%
– Highest hiring Outlooks forecast in Leisure & Hospitality (+27%) Transportation & Utilities (+22%) and Wholesale & Retail Trade (+22%), as Americans dine out and online retail increases demand for distribution drivers
– Construction hiring picks up as employers report strongest Outlook in more than 11 years

MILWAUKEE- U.S. employers across all regions and states plan to add staff in the next three months with a Net Employment Outlook of +18%, according to ManpowerGroup’s (NYSE: MAN) latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey of more than 11,500 U.S. employers.

Employers across all 13 industry sectors report optimistic hiring intentions especially in Leisure & Hospitality (+27%), Transportation & Utilities (+22%) and Wholesale & Retail Trade (+22%), amid rising consumer confidence and demand fueled job growth in online retail.

Growth in Wholesale & Retail Trade is driving demand in Transportation as the need for distribution workers grows. Construction employers report the highest employment Outlook for Q3 2018 in more 11 years at +19%. Employers in the South report the most optimistic Outlook in a decade (+19%) while the Midwest region anticipates sustained hiring for the third consecutive quarter (+19%).

“We continue to see double digit hiring Outlooks across the country, including all four regions of the country, all 13 sectors of the economy and all of the 100 largest MSAs,” said Becky Frankiewicz, President of ManpowerGroup North America. “As the U.S. labor market edges closer to full capacity, we’re seeing rising demand for skilled workers especially in construction and retail distribution. With strong hiring intentions across all industries we’re seeing wider skills gaps so employers can no longer rely on a spot market for talent. The best employers are beginning to invest in accelerated learning and development programs to grow their talent pipeline and working hard to bring in those on the edge of the labor market. This concentrated focus on reskilling and upskilling is more critical than ever to fill the vacancies evident in today’s employment market.”

View complete Q3 2018 survey results for the U.S: Manpowergroup.us/MEOS.

Region	Q3 2018	Quarter-over- Quarter Variation	Year-over-Year Variation
West	17%	-2%	-1%
Midwest	19%	-1%	+2%
South	19%	+1%	+2%
Northeast	16%	-1%	+2%

U.S. Hiring Plans by Regions, Industry Sectors and Metro Areas/States

• Nationwide, employers in all 13 industry sectors expect to add staff in Q3 2018. The strongest Outlooks are reported in Leisure & Hospitality (+27%), Transportation & Utilities (+22%), Wholesale & Retail Trade (+22%), and Professional & Business Services (+22%). Double digit hiring intentions are also reported in Mining (+20%), Construction (+19%), Durable Goods Manufacturing (+19%), Financial Activities (+16%), Nondurable Goods Manufacturing (+16%), Education & Health Services (+14%), Government (+14%), Information (+13%), and Other Services (+11%).
• Employers in all four regions in the U.S. report a positive hiring Outlook for Q3 2018. By region, the Outlooks are: Midwest (+19%), Northeast (+16%), South (+19%), West (+17%). Hiring prospects year-over-year are slightly stronger in the Midwest (+2% year-over-year), South (+2% year-over-year) and the Northeast (+2%year-over- year). Employers in the West report relatively stable hiring intentions year-over-year (-1%).
• For the coming quarter, employers in Indiana (+34%), Wisconsin (+32%), Montana (+30%), Alabama (+28%), Alaska (+28%) and Colorado (+28%) report the strongest Employment Outlooks. Of the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas, the strongest job prospects are expected in Indianapolis, Ind. (35%); Raleigh, NC (34%) Milwaukee, Wis. (33%); and Grand Rapids, Mich. (31%).

Complete results for the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey are available for download at https://manpowergroup.us/MEOS.The Q3 2018 survey will be released Sept. 11, 2018.

*The Net Employment Outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.