Though employment prospects in India are better than many other countries, it will still be weaker than last year, the Manpower Employment Outlook survey conducted by Manpower Inc across 27 countries, including the major economies says.

Employers in the United States are expected to restrain their hiring activity during the second quarter, the survey, which gathered data from 50,000 employers worldwide shows.

"A look at the last three quarters of survey data suggests that employers are shifting into neutral (in the United States) when it comes to hiring," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, chairman & CEO of Manpower Inc.

The other countries where the prospects are positive are Japan, Singapore, Peru, South Africa, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.

Of the countries surveyed in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, job prospects are strongest in South Africa, Ireland, Switzerland, Norway and the UK, while French employers reported the weakest, but still positive, hiring expectations.

Hiring projections for the eight countries included in the survey across the Asia Pacific region are mixed, with a weaker job market ahead for Taiwan and Hong Kong compared to last year.

On the other hand, seasonally adjusted data reveals that demand for employees is heating up in Singapore and Australia.

Among the six countries surveyed in the Americas, employers in Mexico, Peru and Argentina are the most optimistic about adding to their workforce. The hiring pace is expected to be slightly weaker than last year is Canada and the US, the survey says.

Of the 14,000 US employers surveyed, 28 per cent expect to increase payrolls during the second quarter of 2007, while 7 per cent expect to trim staff levels and 59 per cent want no change in the hiring pace. Another 6 per cent are undecided about their hiring plans.

Overall, employers are more likely to maintain or reduce staffing activity this year, the survey says.

Mining, construction, wholesale, retail trade and services employers are less confident about hiring than they were in the first quarter, while transportation, public utilities and finance, insurance, real estate hiring managers foresee improved job prospects during the spring months.

"A look at the shifts within the industry sectors brings context to the hiring pause expected in the second quarter," said Jonas Prising, president of Manpower North America.

"During last year, hiring intentions among construction employers steadily declined to early 2004 levels, such that second quarter results are among the weakest of the 10 industry sectors," he said.