A net 14 percent of companies surveyed in Raleigh and Cary plan to hire workers this srping, says employment services firm Manpower.

That percentage is up sharply from the first quarter and a year ago.

The Manpower survey mirrors recent projections from studies at Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill where finance executives in the U.S. said they planned to increase hiring.

On Monday, the technology jobs website DICE said the Raleigh metro area was the fastest growing market in the country for new jobs.

Still, unemployment in North Carolina remained above 10 percent in January as the state reported earlier Tuesday. Metropolitan area unemployment rates will be published later. In December, the jobless rate across Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Cary remained in the 8 percent range.

Manpower’s survey indicates that the jobless rate could move lower over the next three months.

The company describes the hiring outlook as “active” with 19 percent of firms looking to hire while 5 percent plan to reduce payrolls.

The net difference of 14 percent – or “Net Employment Outlook” as Manpower describes it – is sharply better than the negative 2 percent for the year’s first quarter.

A year ago, the outlook for spring hiring was 0.

Manpower does not conduct a survey for Durham-Chapel Hill as it does for Cary.

Here’s how Manpower broke down job openings:

“For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in Transportation & Utilities, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Information, Financial Activities, Professional & Business Services, Education & Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality, Other Services and Government. Employers in Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing plan to reduce staffing levels, while hiring in Construction and Durable Goods Manufacturing is expected to remain unchanged.”

Statewide, Manpower describes the hiring outlook as “healthy” with a net 12 percent of firms looking to hire compared to 3 percent in the first quarter and 5 percent a year ago.

Nationally, the hiring outlook is not as strong with a net 10 percent of companies looking to hire, up from 9 percent for the first quarter.

Job prospects statewide as cited by Manpower:

“For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in Durable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Information, Financial Activities, Professional & Business Services, Education & Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality, Other Services and Government. Hiring in Construction and Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing is expected to remain unchanged.”