Despite the present high unemployment rate and tight labor market, economic analysts said that there is still good reason to remain optimistic because the next few months will be the best time for hiring. Even the latest survey conducted by the Manpower Inc., a staffing company, revealed that businesses and employers are ready to pick up the pace in 2011. Manpower’s US hiring index rose to 9% for the January-March quarter of 2011, from 5% in the October-December quarter of 2010.

The said survey also named the Baton Rouge, Seattle and Milwaukee to have the strongest hiring markets. Manpower added that in Baton Rouge, various companies in manufacturing, construction, retail, professional and business services, financial services, transportation and utilities, and restaurants and hotels plan to add new jobs. The same industries, except manufacturing and financial services, expect to boost jobs in Seattle. Milwaukee will also generate new jobs in most of the same industries, except construction and financial services. Jonas Prising, Manpower’s President of the Americas, noted that the job market may be getting ready to shift into second gear next year.

However, currently, the US unemployment rate is 9.8% and the economy only added a scant 39,000 jobs, a poor performance form the projected 150,000 jobs.