Job seekers remain positive despite fall in hiring expectations across Europe

Public and private employers in Europe are expected to continue hiring in the last quarter of 2024.

While hiring expectations remain positive in all 21 European countries included in the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, most countries have seen a decline compared to the same period in 2023.

Experts point to the impact of skill mismatches and slower economic growth as key factors influencing hiring expectations across Europe.

The ManpowerGroup’s survey, conducted with 40,340 employers across 42 global economies, calculates the Net Employment Outlook (NEO), which reflects hiring expectations.

The NEO is derived by subtracting the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity from the percentage of those anticipating an increase.

A positive NEO figure indicates that more employers plan to expand their workforce in the next three months than those intending to reduce staff.

Seasonally adjusted hiring expectations in Europe range from 11% in Czechia to 32% in Switzerland, with the average across these 21 countries standing at 20.5%. 

Among Europe’s top five economies, the UK recorded the highest hiring expectations at 28%, followed by Germany and France (both at 22%), Spain (20%), and Italy (19%).

Only five European countries ranked above the global average of 25%: Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, and Belgium.

“There are wide variances in economic activity, sectoral strength and hiring intentions across Europe, which is not surprising for a large block of countries,” Mara Stefan, ManpowerGroup Vice President of Global Insights, told Euronews Business.

“The situations in different countries across Europe are wildly different including different governments with different strategies to deal with