Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Q4 2010/Page 1
UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 7th September 2010
(00.01 Singapore Time)
Contact:
Elise Ser
Manpower Staffing Services (S) Pte Ltd
+65 6877 8831
elise.ser@manpower.com.sg
Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Indicates Active Hiring Pace to Continue in
Singapore
SINGAPORE, (7th September 2010) – According to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey
results released today by Manpower Singapore, opportunities will remain strong for job seekers in the
months ahead. The hiring pace expected to remain similar to that reported in the third quarter and
moderately improve when compared to last year at this time.
Singapore’s seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of +23% indicates that fourth-quarter job growth
is expected to continue at a pace similar to the third quarter. Of the 699 employers interviewed, across
seven industry sectors in Singapore, 25% expect to increase headcount, 3% anticipate a decrease, while
70% foresee no change to their workforces.
Once the data is adjusted to account for seasonal variation, employers report the same Outlook when
compared with the previous quarter, but hiring prospects improve by 8 percentage points year-over-year.
“The difference in employer confidence from the first two quarters of 2009 to now is encouraging. The
fourth quarter Outlook indicates that an active hiring pace will continue through the end of the year. And
employer hiring expectations have leveled out at a +20% to 25%, which is a clear improvement from last
year. Furthermore, current levels of employer optimism may be more sustainable than the survey results
that peaked above +50% in 2007 and early 2008.” said Peter Haglund, Country Manager of Manpower
Singapore.
Employers in all seven industry sectors forecast positive headcount growth in Quarter 4 2010. The strongest
hiring prospects are reported in the Public Administration & Education sector, with a Net Employment Outlook
of +29%, and in the Wholesale Trade & Retail Trade sector, where the Outlook stands at +27%. A steady
hiring pace is anticipated by employers in the Mining & Construction sector, who report an Outlook of +19%,
and in the Finance, Insurance & Real Estate sector, where the Outlook is +18%. Elsewhere, Services sector
Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Q4 2010/Page 2
employers predict respectable growth in staffing levels, reporting an Outlook of +17%, but hiring activity is
expected to be modest in the Transportation & Utilities sector, where the Outlook is +7%.
Quarter-over-quarter, the Wholesale Trade & Retail Trade industry sector Outlook improves by a
considerable margin of 13 percentage points and employers report a slight increase of 3 percentage points in
the Public Administration & Education sector Outlook. However, in the remaining five sectors, hiring
prospects have weakened. The most noteworthy sector decline is reported by Transportation & Utilities
sector employers where the Outlook declines by 16 percentage points, while in the Services sector,
employers report a considerable decline of 10 percentage points.
Comparison with Quarter 4 2009 reveals stronger hiring intentions in five industry sectors. Considerable
improvements of 14 and 13 percentage points are reported by employers in the Mining & Construction sector
and the Wholesale Trade & Retail Trade sector, respectively, and Public Administration & Education sector
employers report a 12 percentage point increase in the Outlook.
“Although the overall result is positive, the Outlook in the Services sector has steadily declined for three
successive quarters, and it will be interesting to see how this develops in Q1 2011.” said Peter. “It is also
evident is that the competition to woo talent is back sooner than expected. Companies with the best HR
strategies will stand a stronger chance to move forward, as long as they understand it is critical to have
strategies in place to attract and retain talent. These strategies need to reach a lot further than paying the
highest salary. They need to address career opportunities and individual development among other things to
ensure success in getting the best talent and keeping them on board.”
Over 16,000 interviews have been conducted across the Asia Pacific region to measure anticipated hiring
activity between October and December 2010.
Across the entire region, employers report positive hiring intentions for the next three months, with those in
China and Taiwan reporting the strongest hiring expectations, as well as the most optimistic Outlooks
since the surveys started in 2Q 2005. Employer hiring plans are mixed when quarter-over-quarter
comparisons are made with employers in Australia reporting a moderate decline, and those in India and
New Zealand forecasting slightly weaker labor markets. Employers in all countries and territories indicate
improved hiring plans compared to Quarter 4 2009.
Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Q4 2010/Page 3
The Outlook in Japan remains cautiously optimistic; however, the forecast in the country’s Manufacturing
industry sector improves for the sixth consecutive quarter. Meanwhile, the hiring pace remains robust in
India, fueled by booming prospects for job seekers in the Public Administration/Education industry sector.
The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released on 7 December 2010 to report hiring
expectations for the first quarter of 2011. The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is available free of
charge to the public through their local Manpower representative in participating countries. To receive email notification when the survey is available each quarter, interested individuals are invited to complete
an online subscription form at: http://investor.manpower.com/investors/alerts.cfm.
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Note to Editors
Commentary is based on seasonally adjusted data where available. Full survey results for each of the 36
countries and territories included in this quarter’s survey, plus regional and global comparisons, can be found
in the Manpower Press Room at www.manpower.com/meos. In addition, all tables and graphs from the full
report are available to be downloaded for use in publication or broadcast from the Manpower Web site at
http://www.manpower.com/library.
About the Survey
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is conducted quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase
or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. The survey has been running for
more than 47 years and is one of the most trusted surveys of employment activity in the world. Various factors
underpin the success of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey:
- Unique: It is unparalleled in its size, scope, longevity and area of focus.
- Projective: The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is the most extensive, forward-looking employment
survey in the world, asking employers to forecast employment over the next quarter. In contrast, other surveys
and studies focus on retrospective data to report on what occurred in the past.
- Focused: For more than five decades, the survey has derived all of its information from a single question.
- Independent: The survey is conducted with a representative sample of employers from throughout the countries
in which it is conducted. The survey participants are not derived from Manpower’s customer base.
- Robust: The survey is based on interviews with over 61,000 public and private employers across 36 countries
and territories to measure anticipated employment trends each quarter. This sample allows for analysis to be
performed across specific sectors and regions to provide more detailed information.
For more information, visit the Manpower Inc. Web site at www.manpower.com and enter the Research
Center.
Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Q4 2010/Page 4
Survey Question
All employers participating in the survey worldwide are asked the same question, “How do you anticipate total
employment at your location to change in the three months to the end of December 2010 as compared to the
current quarter?”
Surveyed Industry Sectors
 Finance, Insurance & Real Estate
 Manufacturing
 Mining & Construction
 Public Administration & Education
 Services
 Transportation & Utilities
 Wholesale Trade & Retail Trade
Net Employment Outlook
Throughout this report, we use the term “Net Employment Outlook.” This figure is derived by taking the
percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of
employers expecting to see a decrease in employment at their location in the next quarter. The result of this
calculation is the Net Employment Outlook.
About Manpower Singapore (Manpower Staffing Services (S) Pte Ltd)
Established in 1996, Manpower Staffing Services (S) Pte Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Manpower Inc.
Manpower Singapore has carved a reputation for itself as an industry innovator and has worked with both public
and private sectors to develop new staffing policies and solutions. We offer a full expert recruitment service
backed by award winning training, HR Services, outsourcing and consulting. The company’s extensive resources,
world-class client list, and reputation attract a diverse group of talent, with every level of education, skills and
experience. We support the workforce needs of businesses of every size. From entry-level to top management.
From temporary to permanent. At Manpower, we lead in the creation and delivery of services that enable our
clients to win in the changing world of work. More information on Manpower is available at
www.manpower.com.sg.
About Manpower Inc.
Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in innovative workforce solutions; creating and delivering services
that enable its clients to win in the changing world of work. With over 60 years' experience, Manpower offers
employers a range of services and solutions for the entire employment and business cycle including permanent,
temporary and contract recruitment; employee assessment and selection; training; outplacement; outsourcing and
consulting. Manpower's worldwide network of nearly 4,000 offices in 82 countries and territories is the world's
largest in the industry and enables the company to meet the needs of its 400,000 clients per year, including small
and medium size enterprises in all industry sectors, as well as the world's largest multinational corporations. The
focus of Manpower's work is on raising productivity through improved quality, efficiency and cost-reduction across
their total workforce, enabling clients to concentrate on their core business activities. Manpower Inc. operates
under five brands: Manpower, Manpower Professional, Elan, Jefferson Wells and Right Management. More
information about Manpower Inc. is available at www.manpower.com.