For coming three months, local employers to maintain hiring plans

Employers in the Wichita area expect to hire at a decent clip in the first quarter, about the same rate as currently, according to the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.

Among employers surveyed, 15 percent plan to hire more employees between January through March, while 5 percent said they planned to cut staff. That produces a net 10 percent employment outlook. Most employers expect to maintain current workforce levels.

However, the first quarter results are a significant slowdown from the 21 percent net outlook of the first quarter of 2016.

Hiring will be spread across most sectors of the economy, according to the survey. However, construction and information will be flat, while transportation and utilities will cut staff.

This story was originally published December 13, 2016 at 9:42 AM with the headline "For coming three months, local employers to maintain hiring plans."