Jobs outlook improving

California's job prospects will be "respectable" in the third quarter, and job prospects in metro Los Angeles should hit the best level in two years, according to a survey released today. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey found that 18 percent of businesses polled plan to add staff from July through September, up from 10 percent in the second quarter and 11 percent a year ago.

"It tells us that businesses are feeling better about the direction of the economy," said Leila Torres Drewes, a sales executive with Manpower's Encino office. "It's optimism we're seeing - absolute optimism."

The survey by Manpower Staffing, an employment services firm, found that 69 percent of respondents plan to maintain their staffing levels, compared with 78 percent in the second quarter and 71 percent a year ago.