Hiring plans of U.S. employers for the second quarter are the highest since 2008, according to the new employment outlook survey released today by ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), one of the world’s largest staffing firms.

The second-quarter survey found that 18 percent of U.S. employers plan to increase their staffs in the second. Six percent planned to decrease their staff for a net employment outlook of 12 percent. Including seasonal adjustment, the net employment outlook goes to 10 percent.

The net employment outlook is the highest since the fourth quarter of 2008 when it was 10 percent

In comparison, the net employment outlook for the second quarter of 2011 was 8 percent. In 2009, during the recession, the net employment outlook was -2 percent.

 “Our survey data for quarter two 2012 is particularly encouraging because the positive hiring intentions are widespread across states, regions and markets,” said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup president of the Americas. “Positive hiring intentions tell us that employers are seeing increased demand for their products and services, and that is good news for the labor market. Although we are not out of the woods yet, our data shows that this hiring progression is increasingly solid.”

The employment outlook survey includes responses from more than 18,000 U.S. employers.