NEW YORK – Economists expect hiring to pick up in the second half of the year, even as overall growth is likely to slow.

In a quarterly survey by the National Association for Business Economists, 43 percent of respondents said their firms are likely to increase employment in the next six months, up 3 percentage points from a similar survey done in April and the highest number in a year.

Also, none of the 73 survey participants said their firms planned significant layoffs, although 8 percent said they expected staff reductions through attrition, an uptick from 4 percent in the April survey. The manufacturing sector had the strongest outlook for more hiring, with transportation, utilities, information and communications next.

With high levels of unemployment among the biggest concerns in the economy, any forecast for increased hiring can be seen as a positive.