Indian employers rank among the most optimistic in terms of hiring prospects in the Asia-Pacific region according to a study carried out by Manpower Outlook Survey. India has ranked second only to Singapore while China has reported the weakest hiring forecast in the region for the third consecutive quarter. The survey released on Tuesday revealed that second quarter hiring is expected to be positive in all of the 32 countries surveyed. The most favourable second quarter hiring plans globally were reported by employers in Singapore, India, Peru, Romania, Costa Rica, Argentina, Poland, Hong Kong, Australia, Greece and South Africa, with those in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia reporting their most optimistic hiring plans in the survey. Conversely, employers in Spain and Italy report the weakest job prospects.
Of the 5,279 employers surveyed in 32 countries, 37% expect an increase in staffing levels in the second quarter of 2008, 1% anticipate a decrease, and 54% are expecting no change. Employers in all eight countries and territories surveyed across the Asia-Pacific region anticipate positive hiring activity for the second quarter of 2008.
Naresh Malhan, managing director, Manpower India said, ?Indian employers continue to be positive yet cautious about their hiring intentions. They are placing more focus on increasing efficiency and productivity of employees to remain competitive in the market rather than increasing their staff strength.?
Employers across all seven industry sectors in India are positive about their hiring intentions. Finance, insurance and real estate sector employers have reported the largest increase in hiring activity while employers in the mining and construction industry sector report the most optimistic hiring prospects among all the seven industry sectors. ?Employers in this sector predict the strongest hiring plans among all industry sectors because of ongoing public and private investments in infrastructure sector,? said Malhan.
Employers in all four regions in India anticipate varied hiring intentions across industry sectors. Employers in the south India expect the most robust hiring pace among all four regions in the second quarter.
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.