The employment prospect in the United States and most other countries will turn bright as a quarterly survey by Manpower Inc. suggests job growth may resume in the first quarter.
The survey shows the pace of jobs recovery appears to be faster in the United States than in Asia or Europe but a fast global jobs recovery is unlikely and the pace of hiring will depend on U.S. consumer sentiment, Manpower said Monday.
Of the more than 28,000 employers surveyed, 12 percent anticipated an increase in staff levels in their first quarter hiring plans in 2010, while 12 percent expected a decrease in payrolls, resulting in a Net Employment Outlook of 0 percent.
The global employment services company said its seasonally adjusted U.S. net employment outlook was plus-6 for the first quarter, up from minus-2 in the fourth quarter. By comparison, this measure was at plus-9 in the first quarter of 2009.
"The data points to encouraging news. A record number of employers plan to keep staff levels stable, which is good for the employed, and an overall positive Outlook means expanding opportunities for job seekers," said Jonas Prising, Manpower president of the Americas.
The survey found that employer optimism improved throughout Asia from the previous quarter, thanks to domestic consumer demand. The outlook remains gloomy in Japan, as the country is still struggling to recover from a protracted period of tepid economic growth, Manpower's CEO said.
In Europe, France, Austria and Germany reported better hiring sentiment.
Overall, Manpower said, the U.S. consumer remains the key factor driving jobs around the world./.