If you are thinking about going back to school – now is a good time. A survey released this week indicates that us employers are predicting strong hiring for the fourth quarter - even with talk of a slowdown in the economy.

Twenty-eight percent of the 14,000 employers polled in the quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook Survey expect to add employees to their payrolls during the fourth quarter this year. Eight percent said they expect to cut staff and 58 percent expect no change.

The survey also revealed that most sectors - seven of 10 - will keep their hiring consistent with the previous quarter. In the mining sector, more jobs are expected, and employers in the education and finance/insurance/real estate sectors expect less hiring.

Overall, hiring patterns do not show any significant signs of a slowdown, despite concerns about an upcoming slackening in the economy.

“Eleven quarters of consistent survey results show that the U.S. job market is not prone to radical swings at this stage,” said Jeffrey Joerres, CEO of Manpower (Charts), a recruiting firm, in a statement. “Even the economic pressures of 2006, such as rising interest rates, energy costs and inflation, were not enough to rattle employer confidence.

Employers are having difficulty finding qualified people to fill jobs, which makes now - a good time to have a college degree. If you are thinking about going back to school, there are many online degree programs available. Earning specialized, marketable skills with online degree programs can help you find jobs in today’s market place.