Employers in Lawrence are thinking along the same lines as their counterparts nationwide when it comes to hiring in the new year.

Nearly one in four Lawrence-area employers – 23 percent – say they plan to add workers during the first three months of 2007, according to a survey from Manpower Inc. Another 10 percent of employers said they expected to cut jobs during the first quarter, while two-thirds of respondents anticipate making no changes to current payroll levels.

The numbers are virtually identical to nationwide hiring plans revealed by Manpower’s survey of 14,000 public and private employers: 23 percent plan additions, 11 percent plan cuts, 60 percent foresee no changes and 6 percent are undecided.

The nationwide outlook, adjusted for seasonal variations, represents the lowest confidence level for hiring since the second quarter of 2004, Manpower said.

Nancy Slabaugh, area manager for Manpower in Lawrence, said that the survey revealed plans for hiring at “a respectable pace” during the first quarter in the area.

Jobs prospects appear best in education and manufacturing, in both durable and nondurable goods, Slabaugh said. Employers in wholesale and retail trades indicated mixed intentions, while those in construction disclosed plans for job reductions.

Among the job sectors with plans to hold employment steady early in 2007, according to the survey: services, public administration, transportation/public utilities, and finance/insurance/real estate.