Hiring in the service sector is forecast to hit a four-year high in December, according to the leading indicators of national employment report released today by the Society for Human Resource Management. However, hiring in the manufacturing sector will fall slightly for the first time in five months.

The report’s survey found that 43.3 percent of service-sector companies will hire while 9.3 percent reduce their workforce for a net increase of 34.0 percent. That compares to a net increase of 21.8 percent in December 2011.

However, a net of 25.3 percent of manufacturers plan to add jobs in December. That compares to a net increase of 29.1 percent in December 2011.

Data for this report is collected through a monthly survey of human resource executives at more than 500 manufacturing and 500 service-sector firms.