A statewide hiring forecast shows a slightly brighter jobs picture in Wisconsin over the next three months than for the nation as a whole.

Milwaukee-based Manpower Group said 26 percent of Wisconsin companies interviewed expect to add jobs during the second quarter of this year. That's a few points better than the firm's national forecast. Layoffs in both the state and U.S. survey are predicted to be at 4 percent.

Chris Layden, of the Manpower Group, said Wisconsin's expected growth looks pretty balanced across industry sectors, "with the strength not surprisingly in Wisconsin across both durable and non-durable goods manufacturing."

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Layden said the jobs picture in the Milwaukee and Madison markets is near the top of all the U.S. metro areas that Manpower has surveyed.

The forecast also shows more than two-thirds of Wisconsin employers don't expect to hire or fire any employees.