A recent survey released by ManpowerGroup Inc. found that U.S. employers expect to hire more people in the first quarter of 2014.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey polled more than 18,000 people among 13 industry sectors and found that 17 percent of the surveyors believed they will be adding jobs to their companies in the New Year. Although many were hopeful for job gains in 2014, 7 percent of the survey takers expected a decline in payrolls during Q1 and 73 percent predicted no change.
This seasonally adjusted net employment outlook of 13 percent is the highest the outlook has been since the first quarter of 2008. ManpowerGroup President Jonas Prising said in a statement that employers are always looking to hire more people.
"Employers remain optimistic and continue to gradually improve their hiring projections despite the uneven economic recovery and other global and domestic influences," he said.
Employers from many states expect some level of job growth in 2014, with North Dakota being the state with the highest net employment outlook of 17 percent. Montana was the only state to not have a positive outlook for the upcoming year.
Of the 13 industries that were polled, leisure and hospitality sector ranked the highest with 26 percent of the sector believing there would be job growth for Q1 2014. Wholesale and retail trade came in next with 22 percent of the industry believing there would be job growth.
