Most companies don't plan to cut jobs in 1st quarter

— -- Sixteen percent of U.S. employers expect to cut workers in the first three months of 2009, according to an online survey conducted for USA TODAY and CareerBuilder.com by Harris Interactive.

An additional 16% said they expect to add workers, while 62% anticipate a steady payroll.

Job cuts could be particularly pronounced in the Northeast, where 19% of those surveyed said they planned to reduce the number of full-time, permanent staff at their companies during the first quarter.

The survey, conducted Nov. 12-Dec. 1, involved 3,259 hiring managers and human resource professionals.

CareerBuilder.com is a job-finding site jointly owned by Tribune, McClatchy, Microsoft and USA TODAY parent Gannett.

U.S. employers cut jobs every month in 2008 through November, according to the Labor Department. Last month, the unemployment rate was 6.7%, the highest in 15 years.