Hiring May Improve Slightly in Spring

Hiring will improve slightly nationwide this spring, but enough to mark a recovery from recessionary levels, according to a forecast coming today.

About 21% of the companies interviewed said they planned to add jobs in April through June, while 10% said they anticipated cutting staff during that time, according to Manpower Inc.’s quarterly survey of 16,000 American businesses.

The rest of the companies said they either expected to maintain their staffing levels or were uncertain about hiring activities in the second quarter.

When seasonally adjusted, the findings reflect a 1% increase in hiring activity during the first three months of the year. The survey found a flat hiring trend in the first quarter.

Still, the survey’s second-quarter findings are down from the same time last year, when 28% of the firms said they planned to hire more people and 8% intended to cut staff.

“Companies are going to be hesitating for some time yet, but the trend could turn into something more positive in the next two or three quarters,” said Jeffrey Joerres, chairman and chief executive of Glendale-based Manpower, the nation’s largest staffing company.

The increase was the survey’s first in more than a year. Manpower expects the increase to continue in the next few quarters, which could signal a recovery, Joerres said.