Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for Q1 2017

CZECH EMPLOYERS REPORT CAUTIOUS HIRING PLANS FOR 1Q 2017

Modest hiring pace expected to continue in low season.

Prague , 13^th December – ManpowerGroup Czech Republic releases today results of the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey for the first quarter of 2017.

Czech employers anticipate modest hiring activity in the January-March time frame, reporting a Net Employment Outlook of +3% on the basis of seasonally adjusted analysis. Hiring prospects decline by 4 percentage points when compared with the previous quarter but remain relatively stable when compared with the same time last year. Payrolls are forecast to grow in eight of 10 industry sectors and two of three regions during 1Q 2017. Quarter-over-quarter, Outlooks weaken in five sectors and two regions. Hiring intentions strengthen in six sectors but weaken in two regions when compared with 1Q 2016.

“Unemployment in the Czech Republic continues to decline and is the lowest in Europe. This is very good news for people looking for a job, but companies increasingly complain that they can not find enough suitable candidates. In-demand profiles are now emphasizing 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 2017, 28 % of large companies with over 250 employees plan to increase the number of vacancies. Especially we are seeing the most inquiries from our clients in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, logistics and call centers,” said Jaroslava Rezlerová, Managing Director of ManpowerGroup Czech Republic.

Industry sector comparisons

Electricity, Gas & Water Supply sector employers report the strongest of the 10 industry sector Outlooks, standing at +14%. The Outlook is 2 percentage points stronger quarter-over-quarter and remains relatively stable year-over-year. Transport, Storage & Communication sector employers anticipate the strongest hiring pace since 2Q 2008 when the survey began, reporting an Outlook of +9%. Hiring intentions improve by 6 percentage points both quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year. The weakest sector Outlook of -2% is reported in the Mining & Quarrying sector despite employer confidence improving both quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year, by 4 and 5 percentage points, respectively.

Regional comparisons

Employers in two of the three Czech regions report moderate hiring prospects with Outlooks of +4%. The Outlook for Bohemia is unchanged quarter-over-quarter and improves by 3 percentage points year-over-year. Moravia employers report weaker hiring intentions both quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year, declining by 6 and 4 percentage points, respectively

The weakest regional forecast of -2% is reported in Prague, declining by 11 and 5 percentage points from 4Q 2016 and 1Q 2016, respectively.

Organization Size Comparisons

Staffing levels are expected to increase in all four organization size categories during the coming quarter with Large employers reporting the strongest hiring intentions (+28%). Meanwhile, Micro employers report the most cautious Outlook of +2%.

Global overview

The research from ManpowerGroup indicates job seekers across the globe will likely find some opportunities through the first three months of 2017. Hiring activity is expected to continue in the majority of the world’s labor markets and most outlooks remain relatively stable or improve from three months ago and last year at this time. Altogether, employers in 40 of 43 countries and territories intend to add to their payrolls by varying degrees at the start of 2017, and the survey reveals few signs that uncertainty associated with the Brexit vote or the U.S. election will result in any significant labor market volatility. Instead, employers appear content to keep a watchful eye on marketplace conditions and adjust workforce levels according to their business needs. Overall, forecasts are mixed in comparison to the Quarter 4 2016 and Quarter 1 2016 surveys. Hiring plans improve in 19 of 43 countries and territories when compared quarter-over-quarter, decline in 17, and are unchanged in seven. Outlooks strengthen in 20 countries and territories year-over-year, weaken in 18, and are unchanged in four. First-quarter hiring confidence is strongest in Taiwan, India, Japan, Hungary and Slovenia. The weakest forecasts are reported in Brazil, Switzerland and Italy.

The next ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey results will be published on 13th March 2017.

For additional information, please contact: Jiří Halbrštát, email: [email protected]

Note to Editors

Commentary is based on seasonally adjusted data where available. Full survey results for each of the 43 countries and territories included in this quarter’s survey, plus regional and global comparisons, can be found in the ManpowerGroup Press Room at www.manpowergroup.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 ManpowerGroup Web site at: http://www.manpowergroup.com/press/meos.cfm

ManpowerGroup has also released its ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Explorer tool, a new interactive way to examine and compare its data. The tool can be viewed at http://www.manpowergroupsolutions.com/DataExplorer/

This survey is conducted quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. The Czech Republic is one of 43 countries and territories participating in the quarterly measurement of employer hiring intentions. The survey for Quarter 1 2017 was conducted by interviewing a representative sample of 750 employers in the Czech Republic and asking the same question: “How do you anticipate total employment at your location to change in the three months to the end of March 2017 as compared to the current quarter?”

The global ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey has been running more than 50 years, and uses a validated methodology in accordance with the highest standards in market research. This survey helps to identify the hiring intentions of both regional and industry sector employers, and facilitates preparation for labor market pressures.

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 nearly 59,000 employers in 43 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) is the world’s workforce expert, creating innovative workforce solutions for nearly 70 years. As workforce experts, we connect more than 600,000 people to meaningful work across a wide range of skills and industries every day. Through our ManpowerGroup family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – we help more than 400,000 clients in 80 countries and territories address their critical talent needs, providing comprehensive solutions to resource, manage and develop talent. In 2016, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the sixth consecutive year and one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible: 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.

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About ManpowerGroup Czech Republic

Through a network of over 35 offices, we provide staff (more than 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.