“All these little pieces add up,’’ Bethune said. “They all add to an economy that’s percolating. It’s not really dramatic, but we’ll take it.’’
Since the recession ended more than two years ago, the state’s economy has recovered somewhat faster than the nation as a whole, driven by its tech sector and global demand for software, equipment, and other technology products. The state’s unemployment rate, 6.8 percent, is far below the national average of 8.5 percent.
A quarterly survey of more than 100 local companies by Professional Staffing Group showed that more employers expect to expand this year - 25 percent said they’d be hiring, up from 18 percent the previous quarter.
“We’re seeing strong hiring taking place in health care and technology companies,’’ said Aaron Green, the agency’s president.
Green said his company is seeing some demand for workers from financial services firms and colleges and universities.
“They’re definitely hiring,’’ he said, “but it’s not gangbusters.’’
Alan Clayton-Matthews, an economics professor at Northeastern University, said he expects the professional business services, education and health services, and information sectors to lead job gains this year. An improving national economy could also provide a boost to hiring here, since many Massachusetts firms sell in national markets.
The US economy added 200,000 jobs in December, and first-time claims for unemployment benefits recently fell to their lowest level since April 2008.
But the state and national economies also face risks that could damage their recoveries. Chief among them are the national debt crisis in Europe and a potential recession there. Europe is a major market for Massachusetts technology and pharmaceutical firms, accounting for about 40 percent of the state’s exports.
A recession in Europe, Clayton-Matthews said, could cut economic growth here significantly. “The question is how much exports might decline from Europe,’’ he said.
