Despite recent layoffs and ongoing concerns about a recession, employers remain optimistic about their hiring plans for the second quarter of 2023, according to a March 14 report from the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.

Hiring intentions remained unchanged from last quarter — with a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of +23%.

However, employers said they’re still struggling to find the right people. About 77% reported difficulty in filling roles, rising 2% year-over-year and marking a 17-year high in global talent shortages.

“Despite economic pressures, hiring outlooks remain resilient, and employers across every industry continue to look for in-demand roles,” Jonas Prising, chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup, said in a statement.

“At the same time, tight labor markets mean many face challenges finding people who have the soft and technical skills they need,” he said. “Investment in upskilling, reskilling, and a focus on preparing people for tomorrow’s jobs has never been more important and should be at the top of every business leader’s agenda.”

In a survey of nearly 39,000 employers in 41 countries, business leaders from all 41 countries noted a positive hiring outlook for Q2. On top of that, employers in 22 countries reported higher intentions as compared with last quarter.

Among the world’s largest economies, the U.S., France, the U.K. and Germany all reported positive hiring perspectives for the coming months. Regionally, organizations in North America reported the strongest hiring intentions, followed by South and Central Americas and Asia Pacific.

The most optimistic outlooks were reported for roles in IT, communication services and finance/real estate. The lowest outlooks were reported in healthcare and life sciences, industrials and materials, and consumer goods and services, though these industries still reported positive hiring trends for Q2.

In terms of technical skills, the most-desired roles are in IT and data, engineering, and sales and marketing. For soft skills, organizations placed high value on reliability and self-discipline, resilience and adaptability, critical thinking and analysis, creativity and originality, and reasoning and problem-solving.

Read the full report here