BUSINESSES SEE STEADY HIRING TO START 2019.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

Businesses are reporting a positive outlook for the job market in the first quarter of 2019, according to a survey fielded by Express Employment Professionals, Oklahoma City, Okla. Even with the latest jobs report showing fewer new jobs than expected and increased media chatter about a recession in the next two years, businesses expect steady hiring in the short term.

Fifty-three percent of respondents expect the job market to stay the same in the first quarter; 38% see it trending up; and nine percent see it trending down.

"Employers will continue to hire," says Janis Petrini, an Express franchise owner in Grand Rapids, Mich. "In our market, the demand for employees remains high, but there is no supply. Employers will continue to struggle to find workers in our market, and demand remains high with two to three job openings for every one person unemployed."

There is some uncertainty, though. Compared to...