Hiring expectations in emerging markets continued its upward trend for the fourth quarter, while confidence remained mixed in Europe, the quarterly Employment Outlook Survey published by the employment services provider Manpower showed Tuesday.
Among the U.S. employers, hiring plans are stronger than a year ago level. However, the cautiously optimistic hiring pace for the fourth quarter reflects that economic concerns continue to weigh on the minds of American employers. Out of total 36 countries covered by the survey, hiring activity is set to improve in 32 nations on an annual basis.
"We're seeing a multi-speed recovery in the global labor market with talent demand in high gear in many of the emerging markets we survey," said Jeffrey Joerres, chairman and CEO of Manpower. "Other markets, such as the U.S. and Japan, are still moving forward but can't seem to get out of first gear."
Employers in many markets continue to struggle with inconsistent demand for their products and services making it difficult to anticipate staff needs. Consequently, a flexible workforce strategy will be critical during this point of the recovery cycle, according to Joerres.
Across the Asia Pacific region, year-over-year forecasts improved in each of the eight countries and territories surveyed. Employer hiring plans in Japan are the most conservative in the region, but they are considerably stronger compared to one year ago. Employers in emerging markets like China, Taiwan, India and Brazil reported the strongest fourth quarter hiring plans, the survey revealed.
Hiring expectations remain mixed in the 18 countries surveyed in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, similar to the third quarter. Hiring activity in the region is expected to be strongest in Switzerland, Norway and Poland and weakest in Greece and Italy.
Employers anticipate varying degrees of positive hiring activity across the 10 nations surveyed in the American region. All the 10 nations showed improvement in outlook when compared to the previous year. Regional hiring plans are again the strongest in Brazil, Peru and Costa Rica and the weakest in the U.S.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.