The latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, released today by ManpowerGroup, indicates stable hiring plans among U.S. employers for the second quarter of 2016. Taking into account seasonal variations, the Net EmploymentOutlook is +16%, making anticipated hiring in Quarter 2 2016 relatively stable compared to Quarter 1 2016 and unchanged from last year at this time.

View complete Q2 2016 survey results for the U.S.: www.manpowergroup.us/meos

Of the more than 11,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 22 percent anticipate increasing staff levels in Quarter 2 2016. This is a 2 percent increase from Quarter 1 2016, and unchanged from Quarter 2 2015.  Four percent of employers expect workforce reductions, and 72 percent expect no change in hiring plans. The final 2 percent of employers are undecided about their hiring intentions, resulting in a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of +16%.

"The U.S. labor market is strong compared to the global situation, with the economy still generating a sufficient number of jobs to keep the unemployment rate down," said Kip Wright, Senior Vice President, Manpower North America. "However, we now live in a world of 'certain uncertainty,' where increased volatility may be here to stay. As a result, organizations and individuals need to be more agile in order to better adapt to this rapidly evolving environment, and a key differentiator to success is attracting and developing the right skills."

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

Quarter over quarter, U.S. employers in the Midwest, Northeast and South expect hiring to remain relatively stable, while employers in the West anticipate a slight decrease in hiring. Compared to the same time last year, employers in the West report a slightly weaker Outlook, while employers in the Northeast, Midwest and South anticipate a relatively stable hiring pace.

Employers have a positive Outlook in all 13 industry sectors included in the survey, with Leisure & Hospitality (+31%), Wholesale & Retail Trade (+22%), Transportation & Utilities (+19%)  and Professional & Business Services (+18%) employers reporting the strongest hiring intentions.

Among the 50 states, employers in Nebraska, Idaho, Rhode Island and Iowa report the strongest Net Employment Outlooks, while Wyoming, Nevada, Louisiana and New Jersey project the weakest Outlooks.

Among employers in the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas, the strongest job prospects are expected in:

• Charlotte, N.C.

• Omaha, Neb.

• Albany, N.Y.

• Boise, Idaho

The weakest outlooks are projected in:

• Youngstown, Ohio

• Akron, Ohio

• Baton Rouge, La.

• Las Vegas