New Survey: More Businesses Plan to Hire in 2017
OKLAHOMA CITY - January 25, 2017
Job Creation Predicted for First Quarter
91% Have No Plans to Eliminate Positions
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Express Employment Professionals released new survey results today revealing businesses' plans to hire workers in the first quarter of 2017.
In a survey of 1,951 businesses, 76 percent said they plan to hire new workers in the first quarter. Only 9 percent said they plan to eliminate positions.
Respondents were asked in which segments they plan to hire-and whether those jobs would be for existing positions or new positions.
Almost one-third, 32 percent, plan to make hires in general labor, with 34 percent of that group planning to create new positions. Twenty-six percent plan to hire skilled labor, while 20 percent plan to hire administrative and office clerical staff.
Overall, the results are a slight improvement from the fourth quarter of 2016, when 72 percent said they planned to hire, and from the first quarter of 2016, when 69 percent said they planned to hire.
"These are certainly positive signs. More businesses are planning to hire, and only a fraction are eliminating positions," said Bob Funk, CEO of Express, and a former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. "It's also encouraging to see so many respondents planning to create new positions. If the new leadership in Washington, D.C., results in positive economic reforms, then I would expect these trends to accelerate.
"The fact is, during the last few years, even though businesses have been hiring more workers, jobs weren't being created fast enough. We just might pick up the pace in 2017."
The survey of 1,951 businesses, which are current and former clients of Express Employment Professionals, covers hiring trends for the first quarter of 2017.
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About Robert A. Funk
Robert A. "Bob" Funk is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has more than 760 franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. Under his leadership, Express has put more than 6 million people to work worldwide. Funk served as Chairman of the Conference of Chairmen of the Federal Reserve and was also the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
About Express Employment Professionals
Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $3.05 billion in sales and employed a record 510,000 people in 2016. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually.
For More Information:
Sheena Karami
Director of Corporate Communications and PR
Express Employment Professionals
(405) 840-5000
sheena.karami@expresspros.com