/EINPresswire.com/ -- TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb 8, 2017) - Express Employment Professionals released new survey results today revealing that employers have overwhelmingly positive perceptions of their local job markets.

In a survey of 1,951 North American businesses, respondents were asked, "As an employer, what is your perception of the current employment environment in your market?"

Nearly three quarters, 74 percent, said the environment is "trending up," while 26 percent said trending down.

That is a 10-percentage point improvement compared to results from a similar survey in the fourth quarter of 2016.

"This is a very encouraging sign for the new year," said Bob Funk, CEO of Express. "We all know that despite the lower unemployment rate, too many men and women have been shoved to the sidelines and left the job market. Continued job market improvement is essential to getting more people back to work, especially those who have been jobless for so long that they are no longer counted in the 'official' unemployment rate."

"This improvement could be a sign that the long, slow recovery is finally picking up some momentum, or it could represent employers' optimism about the new president and administration."

	Q1 2017	Q4 2016	Q3 2016	Q2 2016
As an employer, what is your perception of the current employment environment in your market?
Trending up	74%	64%	66%	68%
Trending down	26%	36%	34%	32%

The survey of 1,951 businesses in the United States and Canada, which are current and former clients of Express Employment Professionals, covers hiring trends for the first quarter of 2017.

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bob Funk to discuss this topic, please contact Kellie Major at (613) 222-7488.

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 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 the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and was also the Chairman of the Conference of Chairmen of the Federal Reserve.

About Express Employment Professionals and Express in Canada

Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $3.05 billion in sales and employed nearly 510,000 people in 2016. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. Express launched in Canada in July 1996, with a franchise in London, Ontario, and since then, has expanded and grown across Canada significantly. There are currently 37 Express franchises in Canada - six in British Columbia, five in Alberta, two in Saskatchewan, 23 in Ontario, and one in Nova Scotia.