The New Year should ring in new jobs for Michiana, but hold the celebration because many employers also plan to reduce their workforce.

According to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released Tuesday, 9% of companies interviewed in the South Bend-Mishawaka area say they'll hire more employees in the first quarter.

But, double that, and 18% said they'll reduce their payrolls.

In the meantime, 68% will maintain their staff levels.

In Michigan, two cities are in the top five for the weakest employment expectations.

The Detroit-Warren-Lavonia area comes in at number three with -13%. And the Lansing-east-Lansing area is ranked number two at -15%.

Nationwide, more than 70% of companies, a record number, plan to keep their staff levels stable while others are planning moderate growth.

The Manpower Survey is based on interviews with 28,000 employers.