Companies across eastern Iowa are continuing to cut back on their hiring plans for the third quarter although there seem to be signs of a rebound, according to a survey by Cambridge Staffing.

Chuck Roe, Cambridge Staffing's general manager, said 24 percent of the 75 companies polled have plans to hire new employees in the third quarter. While that is down from 33 percent in the second quarter, he said the companies plan to hire a total of 140 new employees, which is up 73 percent from the previous quarter when the estimate was to add 81 new employees.

The survey was conducted with employers in Davenport, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City - the three markets where the Cedar Rapids-based Cambridge Staffing has operations. In Davenport, the firm operates as Cambridge Tempositions.

"The outlook for the second part of 2009 looks better as companies are starting to rebound," Roe said. "I don't think we have hit bottom yet. But we have some companies that are doing very well."

Cambridge provides staffing services primarily to the service and manufacturing sectors.

Of those surveyed, 27 percent of the manufacturing companies plan to hire compared to only

23.5 percent of the service companies. Only two companies indicated they will lay off employees during the third quarter.

While businesses connected to the automotive industry continue to suffer, Roe said he is seeing business pick up for agribusinesses and service-related companies. Manufacturing also has not rebounded, he said.

But the employers' 12-month outlook supports his belief that not all the companies have hit bottom. Of the 75 companies surveyed, only 27 percent expect to add to their headcount over the next year. That compares to

51 percent in the previous quarter. Companies adding workers expect to have 162 new hires over the next year. Just a quarter ago, that number was 1,022 new hires.