HELP WANTED: Strong jobs outlook for Indiana

Indiana leads the nation in the percentage of employers who expect to add jobs in July, August and September, according to ManpowerGroup survey results being released today.

And of the 100 largest U.S. cities, Indianapolis tops the list with the highest net hiring outlook – 35 percent. That's more than 50 percent higher than the national average outlook of 21 percent.

The Hoosier State's net employment outlook is 34 percent. Net employment is determined by subtracting the percentage of employers who expect to reduce staff from those who plan to increase it.  

Manpower's third-quarter hiring outlook found that 34 percent of Indiana respondents expected to increase staff; zero percent planned to decrease; and 65 percent expected to maintain current workforce levels.

Although adding jobs is evidence of a strong economy, the news isn't all positive. Robust demand for workers is butting up against a state unemployment rate that was below 3 percent in April.

The resulting worker shortage is pushing some employers to explore new options during recruiting.