Employers in many of the world's largest economies are "taking a step back in hiring", reflecting concerns that the crisis in financial markets could spill over into other sectors, according to a survey of more than 55,000 employers.

The study, conducted in 32 countries by Manpower, one of the world's largest recruitment companies, reported that the jobs outlook in the US, one of the main engines of the global economy, was the weakest for four years.

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Weaker job prospects were also reported in Germany, Italy and Spain, while the outlook in the UK was the worst for 14 years, with hiring intentions more than halved compared with the same period last year.

Countries reporting the most "favourable" hiring intentions included Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Romania, Poland and Argentina. China reported the weakest employment outlook of Asia-Pacific countries.

The survey compared the number of employers expecting to increase hiring during the second quarter of this year, with those expecting to reduce employment. Although all countries reported a positive balance, many employers, particularly in developed countries, "indicated that they will be adding fewer employees in the quarter ahead".

Jeffrey A. Joerres, Manpower chairman and chief executive, said: "There has been a decided shift in employer sentiment in this quarter's survey, with employers in many countries, including the US, pulling back their hiring plans in a bigger way than we have seen in several years.

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"The important change is not about reductions in workforces, like we would expect in a recessionary period, but rather an increase in the percentages of employers who are planning to put a hold on hiring. This is definitely a 'wait and see' approach as they evaluate where their economies are headed."

US employers shed 63,000 jobs last month, the highest number for five years according to the US labour department.

Manpower said that US hiring activity after allowing for seasonal adjustments was expected to remain stable or decrease in all industry sectors but one: transport/public utilities. It blamed "the housing downturn, subprime lending problems and high energy prices" for the decline, with construction suffering "the steepest declines in hiring confidence".

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Employers' responses in the Asia-Pacific region were more mixed. The strongest hiring intentions were reported in Singapore. Indian employers for the 12th consecutive quarter reported positive hiring intentions across all industry sectors. Job prospects were also strong in Australia.

Chinese employers reported a slight fall in hiring intentions but Beijing continued "to hold an optimistic outlook, mainly triggered by the upcoming Olympic Games in August".