Optimistic Hiring Expectations for Q1 2022

Hiring expectations continue to improve on a global basis, according to the most recent ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey. For the first time since prior to the pandemic, all 40 countries that participate in the survey report optimistic hiring conditions for the upcoming quarter compared to a year ago. In 36 of those countries, the numbers are also an improvement over the previous quarter.

Industry Sectors

• The survey identifies 11 industry sectors, all of which expect to see growth in the upcoming quarter
• The strongest hiring expectations are in the area of IT, technology, telecommunications, communications and media
• Restaurants and hotels are also expecting a nice bounce in the upcoming quarter
• The slowest gains are anticipated in the not-for-profit sector

Geographic Regions

• In EMEA, the year-over-year hiring expectations improve in every country for the second consecutive quarter.
• The Netherlands, Ireland and Portugal report the strongest outlook in the region
• The weakest outlooks in the region come from Czech Republic, Greece, and Hungary, though all of these groups are expecting double-digit growth
• In the Americas, hiring activity in the USA is expected to slow down moderately, after multiple consecutive quarters of very strong growth
• Hiring plans among Peruvian employers are up sharply for the coming quarter, closely followed by Brazil and Mexico
• Leading the AsiaPacific region is India, with employers reporting record-high hiring expectations both quarter-over-quarter (5%) and year-over-year (43%)

Workplace Indicators

• Nearly two-thirds of employers are implementing some sort of vaccine mandate in order for employees to return to the workplace
• Employers are increasingly recognizing the need for hybrid work; production & manufacturing workers are the most likely to be on-site on a full-time basis

The strong hiring outlook coupled with the extreme candidate shortage has created an exceptionally challenging environment for recruiters. Candidates are receiving multiple offers and counteroffers at a frantic pace. Recruiters with deep connections to a niche talent pool as well as other recruitment partners will be in the best position to take advantage of the current climate.