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U.S. employers are projecting a subdued hiring pace in the second quarter, according to the results of the latest quarterly employment outlook survey conducted by employment services firm Manpower Inc.

Of the 31,800 employers surveyed, 15 percent anticipated an increase in staff levels next quarter while 14 percent expected a decrease. Sixty-seven percent of the respondents projected no workforce changes and 4 percent were undecided.

"A significant number of employers surveyed anticipate 'no change' in their employment intentions for the upcoming quarter, [which] tells us that in this difficult economic environment, employers are attempting to manage the tension between generating a profit and maintaining their workforce infrastructure,” said Manpower Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Joerres in a prepared statement.

Survey results also show that employers in the mining, durable and nondurable goods manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, information, financial activities, professional and business services, education and health services, and other services and government categories anticipated a hiring decline, while transportation and utilities employers planned to keep hiring levels relatively stable next quarter.