Survey: US jobs market strongest since 2001

US employers expect the seasonally adjusted hiring pace from April to June to be stronger than it has been since the first quarter of 2001, according to the latest quarterly employment outlook survey from international employment agency Manpower Inc.

Of the 16,000 US employers that were surveyed, 28% said they plan to increase hiring activity in the second quarter, while 6% expect a decline in employment opportunities. Another 62% of employers foresee no change in hiring, and 4% are uncertain of their staffing plans.

Removing the seasonal variations from the data, the outlook for the second quarter is more positive than it was last quarter and is nearly twice as strong as it was last year at this time, marking the third consecutive quarter of increased hiring activity, the group said.

Manpower said that hiring is expected to improve across each of the four US regions and in all 10 industry sectors surveyed, compared with survey results from last quarter and a year ago.

A Joerres, chairman and CEO of Manpower Inc said: "Employers in the much-watched manufacturing sectors project notable increases in hiring activity. Construction employers are particularly confident about job opportunities in the second quarter, predicting the strongest employment outlook since 1978".