Manufacturing and service-sector companies plan to increase hiring in January compared with a year ago, but at lower levels than the same month in 2008, according to the leading indicators of employment report released Friday by the Society for Human Resource Management.

A survey for the report found that 33.7% of manufacturing firms plan to add staff in January while 16.1% plan cuts for a net increase 17.6%. This compares to a net decrease of 20.2% in January 2009 and a net increase of 28.2% in January 2008.

In the service sector, a net 11.3% plan to add staff in January compared with a net decrease of 9.8% in January 2009. The net increase in January 2008 was 22.9%.

The SHRM report is based on a survey of private-sector human resource professionals at more than 500 manufacturing and more than 500 service-sector firms.