Forbes has named the Portland, South Portland and Biddeford area as one of the top 10 metropolitan areas in the country for job-hunting this spring.

The list is based on national survey of employers by ManpowerGroup, an employment services firm. The company says that the Portland area has a “net employment outlook” of 19 percent for the second quarter of 2012.

The number is based on the percentage of employers who anticipate an increase in staffing levels and the percentage who expect a reduction.

Portland was ranked sixth in the survey.

The survey identified the top two metropolitan areas as Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, S.C., and Knoxville, Tenn. Both enjoy a 24 percent net employment outlook.

Forbes said the area with the worst economic outlook is Jacksonville, Fla., which has a net employment outlook of 2 percent.

Portland Mayor Michael Brennan in a statement said that more than 40 percent of Maine’s personal income, employment and total state product comes from the Portland region.

He said it’s crucial that policy makers at both the state and local level adopt policies that support growth and the quality of life in Portland because “Portland and Maine’s economic success go hand in hand.”

To read the Forbes story, click here.

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