Of the 14,000 U.S. Employers surveyed, 29% expect to increase their workforces during the third quarter of 2007, while 7% expect to trim their payrolls. Fifty-eight percent expect no change in the hiring pace, and 6% are undecided about their hiring plans.

The seasonally adjusted survey results show that hiring activity in nearly all industry sectors surveyed is expected to remain steady during the summer months of 2007. Employers in Construction, Durable and Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation/Public Utilities, Finance and Services all foresee a hiring climate that is unchanged from the second quarter forecast, while Mining, Wholesale/Retail Trade and Public Administration employers anticipate a slight decrease in the hiring pace. Despite the decline in Mining, employers in this industry sector have the most optimistic staffing plans for the upcoming quarter.

"In general, employer optimism about hiring is expected to hold firm in the third quarter across most industry sectors," said Jonas Prising, President of Manpower North America. "However, employers in select industries are losing confidence about adding employees including those in the Construction, Wholesale/Retail Trade and Finance/Insurance/Real Estate sectors. The third-quarter hiring projections are a sign that the moderate decline in these industry sectors is likely to continue through the next three months."

Within the four U.S. regions surveyed, job prospects are strongest in the West. Employers in the Northeast continue to be the least optimistic about hiring -- most notably in the Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing sector, where there is a significant weakening in job prospects. A quarter-over-quarter analysis indicates that employers in the West are more optimistic about hiring for the third quarter, while those in the Midwest and South expect little change in their staffing plans. In the Northeast, companies are slightly less likely to increase headcount compared with second quarter.