After a lackluster first half of 2008, the Rhode Island job market is forecast to remain gloomy in the third quarter as Providence-area employers expect to hire at a very weak pace, according to a Manpower Employment Outlook Survey to be released today.

About one-third of Providence-area employers interviewed expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Sean Lee, a Manpower spokesman. Another 46 percent expect to maintain current staffing levels, while 17 percent plan to hire more employees. The rest are not certain of their hiring plans.

During the first four months of 2008, Rhode Island lost 6,300 jobs and payroll employment fell to its lowest level since June 2003, according to the state Department of Labor and Training.