ECONOMY

Survey Projects Hiring Gains: Manpower Inc. says 30% of U.S. employers plan to boost their payrolls in the second quarter, while just 7% plan to shrink employment. The survey of 15,000 businesses found the highest net hiring plans since 1989, with manufacturers reporting the most robust expectations. On a regional basis, the Midwest continues to surge ahead of other parts of the country, with the Northeast and the West recovering their strength, if only slowly. “The Great Lakes area continues to be sort of the hotbed for employment demand,” said Randy Eberts, executive director of the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in Michigan.