Iowa has one of the strongest job markets in the country according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. Manpower spokesperson Karen Miller says 96-percent of the state’s employers that were surveyed plan to hire more employees or maintain their current workforce levels between July and September. “We’ve got 30-percent of the employers around the state that were surveyed saying they’ll be adding (employees),” Miller said. “Only three-percent said they would be decreasing staffing levels.”

The fact that so many employers intend to hire more workers means companies will face a lot of competition for top talent. “If they’re going to be hunting and trying to find the right talent to fill their open opportunities, they’re going to have to get aggressive,” Miller said. “They’re going to have to make sure they’re competitive with their salaries and benefit offerings.” In addition, Miller suggests employers consider hiring candidates with “transferable skills” who can be taught to fill needs within the company.

The 30-percent of Iowa employers who plan to add workers over the third quarter of 2015 compares to 22-percent in the survey conducted one year ago. Iowa, North Dakota, Michigan and Virginia were the top four performing states in the latest Manpower survey.

(Radio Iowa)