Thirty per cent of US companies intend to increase staffing levels in the second quarter this year, according to a survey of 16,000 employers prepared for release Tuesday.
The report marks the ninth straight quarter that more than 20 per cent of the companies surveyed said they plan to add staff. It was 23 per cent for the first quarter of this year. The last time the reading topped 30 per cent was in the third quarter of 2005, when 31 per cent of companies surveyed said they planned to add staff.
Six per cent of companies surveyed expect to reduce employment in the second quarter, while 58 per cent expect no change, the survey said. Six per cent of companies were unsure of their plans, according to the survey, which began in 1962.
The trend shows a healthy, stable economy, said Milwaukee-based global staffing firm Manpower Inc.
Manpower CEO Jeff Joerres said a shortage of workers is forcing companies to get out and be more competitive in their hiring practices.
"There is a shortage going on," Joerres said. "Companies are looking for the exact talent they need, and they may be having a more difficult time doing that."
Mining companies expect significant gains in hiring in the second quarter, with 37 per cent planning to increase their payrolls and 3 per cent planning to decrease, the survey said.
"Demand for coal has skyrocketed in the wake of high oil and gas prices, and mining employers have responded by boosting their hiring plans in recent quarters," Joerres said.
{{/usCountry}}"Demand for coal has skyrocketed in the wake of high oil and gas prices, and mining employers have responded by boosting their hiring plans in recent quarters," Joerres said.
{{/usCountry}}Construction firms outpaced the other industries in the survey, with 43 per cent planning to increase staffing and 3 per cent planning to reduce it, the survey said.
The hiring outlook in the West outpaced the other regions with 35 per cent of companies planning to increase staffing and 5 per cent planning to decrease.
The Midwest and the Northeast were the least positive, with each region planning to increase 27 per cent. Five percent of Midwest companies surveyed said they planned to decrease staffing compared to 9 per cent in the Northeast.