Many Missouri businesses plan to add workers over the first three months of 2019. That’s according to a new survey by staffing firm ManpowerGroup. Spokesman Dave Wheeler says 17-percent of Missouri businesses expect to hire new employees between January and March.

Survey: 17% of Missouri businesses to add workers in first quarter of 2019

“As you compare that to fourth quarter of 2018, our current period, we were projected at 15 percent growth and we are going up to a 17 percent growth for fourth quarter,” Wheeler says.

Another 75 percent of Missouri employers say they plan to maintain current staffing levels over the first quarter of next year.

“This number is only offset by six percent of employers who plan to reduce payroll,” he says.

More than 12,500 businesses nationwide participated in the survey.

By Pat Curtis of Radio Iowa