ManpowerGroup Inc.’s (NYSE: MAN) new Employment Outlook Survey found 24% of US employers plan to add staff in the upcoming third quarter — that’s up from 22% who said they planned to add staff in ManpowerGroup’s second-quarter survey and 23% in the third quarter of last year.

The third-quarter survey also found 4% plan to decrease staff, 70% expect no change in staff and 2% are undecided about their hiring intentions. Taking into account the 24% who plan to add staff, this results in a net employment outlook of 17% when seasonally adjusted, unchanged from the second-quarter outlook.

“Employers across the country are optimistic but don’t want to get ahead of themselves,” said Michael Stull, senior VP, Manpower North America. “In most sectors, employers report relatively stable hiring plans with some upticks — most notably in durable goods manufacturing, where there are the strongest hiring intentions in more than nine years.”

The industries reporting the strongest hiring intentions are leisure and hospitality at 25%, transportation and utilities at 22%, wholesale and retail trade at 21%, mining at 18%, and professional and business services at 18%.

All regions in the US reported positive third-quarter hiring plans. When compared with the previous quarter, hiring intentions remain relatively stable in both the Midwest and the Northeast, while employers report no change in both the South and the West. Compared with this time one year ago, hiring prospects are slightly stronger in the Midwest and remain relatively stable in the South and West. Employers in the Northeast report no change year over year.

Employers in Michigan, Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa and Rhode Island report the strongest net employment outlooks.

ManpowerGroup’s employment outlook survey includes responses from 11,000 US employers.

Canada hiring trends

Turning north, Canadian employers anticipate a “modest” hiring climate in the third quarter, with employers in the public administration sector reporting the strongest job prospects, according to ManpowerGroup’s data for Canada. There, 17% of employers expect to increase staffing levels, 4% anticipate cutbacks, 78% forecast no change and 1% are unsure about hiring plans. This results in a net employment outlook of 8% on a seasonally adjusted basis, an increase of one percentage point from the second-quarter outlook and two percentage points from the same quarter of last year.

The overall tone for the third quarter is one of cautious optimism,” said Darlene Minatel, VP, Manpower Canada operations and strategic accounts. “While the economy is still recovering from the effects of low oil prices, we’re seeing slow but steady job growth in many urban areas across the country, a positive sign for the months ahead.”

ManpowerGroup’s employment outlook survey data include responses from more than 1,900 Canadian employers.