Job openings should remain high through the second quarter, with hiring particularly strong in the industrial sector, according to a survey released today by Express Employment Professionals.

In the survey of Express businesses, 80% of respondents said they planned to hire in the second quarter; 39% plan to hire general industrial labor; 33% plan to hire skilled industrial labor; and 18% plan to fill administrative or clerical jobs.

Taking a broader view, 41% of respondents said the employment market is “trending up,” up from 38% in a similar survey conducted for the first quarter and an indication hiring may still pick up further in some parts of the country. Almost half, 49%, said the employment market is “staying the same,” down from 53% in the prior survey; those reporting their market is “trending down” rose to 11% from 9%.

“The pace of hiring varies significantly by region, but the fact that hiring continues and so few businesses say their markets are ‘trending down’ is more encouraging news for the economy,” said Express CEO Bill Stoller. “It’s worth asking, how much stronger would our economy be if we could fill the 7.6 million jobs that were open at last count?”

The survey of 491 businesses, which are current and former clients of Express Employment Professionals, was conducted in February to gauge respondents’ expectations for the second quarter of 2019.