Poll: Labor market leans toward hiring

PRINCETON, N.J., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- A national poll found the U.S. labor market is headed in a positive direction, but not at an impressive pace, researchers at Gallup said Tuesday.

The poll results, gleaned from daily interviews with at least 1,000 adults indicate 29 percent of employers in December said they were hiring, while 19 percent indicated their firms were downsizing. That firmed up the national Job Creation Index at a plus 10, Gallup said.

Going region to region, the Midwest posted the highest reading with a plus 17, while the East came in at plus 7 and the West came in at plus 6. The hiring index in the South came in at 11 with 30 percent hiring and 19 percent downsizing.

The Job Creation Index is based on at least 3,000 interviews in each region with results carrying a margin of error of plus and minus 3 percentage points, Gallup said.