Manpower, Inc. is forecasting a &uot;fair&uot; employment picture for the Tri-State area for late summer and early autumn.

Manpower Inc. spokeswoman Priscilla Gray said the company’s quarterly poll of Ashland, Ky./Ironton, Ohio area firms reveals that 10 percent of those contacted plan to increase their staffs during the months of July, August and September.

Only three percent say they plan to lay off employees. The majority, 84 percent told Manpower surveyors they plan to change to their staffs at all during that period. The remaining three percent aren’t sure what they will do.

&uot;Three months ago, employers were more optimistic,&uot; Gray said. &uot;Seventeen percent reported hiring intentions, and three percent saw the need to trim personnel. A year ago, prospects were satisfactory, as 30 percent said they would add workers.&uot;

According to Manpower’s Employment Outlook Survey, the employers most likely to hire new workers are in the wholesale/retail trade and services, while durable goods manufacturers plan to cut back. Other sectors expect to remain relatively stable.

Nationally, the economic picture is considerably brighter. Twenty-seven percent of those firms surveyed said they would hire workers.

Manpower, Inc. surveys employers across the country on their intentions to increase or decrease the permanent work force. The survey is based on telephone interviews with nearly 16,000 public and private sector employers in 477 US markets. Teresa Moore/The Ironton Tribune