Employers Optimistic About Hiring In Second Quarter

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The job outlook is looking up for the second quarter.

ManpowerGroup's quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook Survey of employers' intentions to increase or trim back their workforce found a net increase of 13 percent.

The workforce solutions company says 19 percent of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed anticipate increasing staff levels. ManpowerGroup's Chris Layden says it's "the strongest second-quarter hiring intention since the second quarter of 2008." And Layden says expected staff reductions of four percent were the lowest in the survey's history.

Layden says the survey found a positive outlook in all 13 industry sectors, especially engineering and technology. He says the survey found that "95 percent of employers were having difficulty finding engineers."

According to Layden, the survey shows nationwide growth and "points to a little steadier job market."