ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Q1 2019

Czech emploers report cautious hiring intentions for the upcoming quarter

Prague, 11th December – ManpowerGroup Czech Republic releases today results of the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey for the first quarter of 2019.

Reporting a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of +4%, Czech employers anticipate subdued hiring activity during the January to March period. Hiring prospects decline by 2 percentage points when compared with the previous quarter but remain relatively stable in comparison with the same period last year.

Payrolls are forecast to grow in seven of 10 industry sectors and all three regions during the upcoming quarter. In a comparison with 4Q 2018, hiring plans weaken in seven sectors and all three regions, while Outlooks dip in six sectors and two regions when compared with this time one year ago.

“The first quarter is often the worst period in terms of employment, and it is not uncommon to see workforce reductions in many sectors. On the other hand, the net employment outlook +4 is very similar to first quarters in previous two years. That can be sign of continuing optimism of Czech labor market with the lowest unemployment in Europe. This is very good news for people looking for a job, but companies increasingly complain that they cannot find enough suitable candidates. In-demand profiles are emphasizing not only specialized skills in IT, engineering or skill trades, but companies also report a lack of candidates for non-qualified jobs in manufacturing and logistics. According to the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey for the first quarter of 2018, employers in 31 % of large companies plan to increase the number of vacancies. Especially we are seeing the most inquiries from our clients in automotive sector, logistics and call centers,” said Jaroslava Rezlerová, Managing Director of ManpowerGroup Czech Republic.

Industry sector comparisons

The strongest industry sector Outlook of +8% is reported for the Construction sector, although hiring plans weaken by 3 and 2 percentage points from 4Q 2018 and 1Q 2018, respectively.
Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry & Fishing sector employers report the weakest sector hiring intentions, expecting to trim payrolls with an Outlook of -3%. Hiring plans are 6 percentage points weaker when compared with the previous quarter and decline by 7 percentage points year-over-year.

Regional comparisons

Regionally, Moravia employers report the strongest Outlook of +5%, declining by 2 percentage points quarter-over-quarter, but improving by 3 percentage points in comparison with last year at this time.
In both Prague and Bohemia, employers report Outlooks of +3%:
The Prague Outlook remains relatively stable when compared with the previous quarter, but declines by 2 percentage points year-over-year.
In Bohemia, the Outlook declines by 4 percentage points in comparison with both 4Q 2018 and 1Q 2018.

Organization Size Comparisons

Job gains are forecast for all four organization size categories during the next three months. Large- and Medium-size employers report healthy hiring prospects with Outlooks of +24%, while the weakest Outlook of +3% is reported by Micro employers.

Global overview

Hiring intentions for the coming quarter are stronger in 16 of 44 countries and territories when compared with the prior quarter, weaken in 23 and are unchanged in five. In a comparison with this time one year ago, Outlooks improve in 21 countries and territories, decline in 20, and are unchanged in two**. First-quarter hiring confidence is strongest in Japan, Taiwan, the U.S., Slovenia, Greece and Hong Kong, while employers report the weakest hiring intentions in Argentina, Switzerland, Italy, Panama and Spain.

The next ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey featuring the forecast for the 2Q 2019 period will be published on 12 March 2019.

About the Survey

The global leader in innovative workforce solutions, ManpowerGroup releases the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. It is the longest running, most extensive, forward-looking employment survey in the world, polling over 60,000 employers in 44 countries and territories. The survey serves as a bellwether of labor market trends and activities and is regularly used to inform the Bank of England’s Inflation Reports, as well as a regular data source for the European Commission, informing its EU Employment Situation and Social Outlook report the Monthly Monitor. ManpowerGroup’s independent survey data is also sourced by financial analysts and economists around the world to help determine where labor markets are headed.

About ManpowerGroup™

ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across 80 countries and territories and has done so for 70 years. In 2018, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the ninth year and one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies for the sixteenth year, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup is powering the future of work: www.manpowergroup.com.

In January 2011, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, ManpowerGroup announced the world has entered the Human Age, where talent has replaced capital as the key competitive differentiator. This concept of talentism as the new capitalism continues to resonate and was echoed as a core theme of the 2012 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Learn more about this new age at www.manpowergroup.com/humanage.

Gain access to ManpowerGroup’s extensive thought leadership papers, annual Talent Shortage surveys and the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, one of the most trusted indices of employment activity in the world, via the ManpowerGroup World of Work Insight iPad application. This thought leadership app explores the challenges faced by employers navigating the changing world of work and provides in-depth commentary, analysis, insight and advice on strategies for success.

Enter the Human Age at: www.manpowergroup.com/humanage

About ManpowerGroup Czech Republic

Through a network of over 35 offices, we provide staff (nearly 12,000) for around 1,200 clients. With employment opportunities in the public and private sector, on both a permanent and temporary basis, we make it easy for people to find employment and for companies to find staff with the skills they need. Solutions include permanent and temporary positions, holiday, maternity or sick coverage, through to large workforce transformation and outsourcing contracts.