Iowa employers’ optimism is higher than it was three months ago, according to the Hamilton Hiring Survey, which was conducted by the Hamilton Group.

The company talked to about 5,000 of the state’s small and medium-sized employers about job growth during the next quarter. The survey found that 47 percent were somewhat or very optimistic up, from the 40 percent who were optimistic during the fourth quarter of 2011.

“Overall optimism was up regardless of industry, which tells us that the economy and the geopolitical headlines play a major role in job optimism from quarter to quarter,” Tom Hamilton, the organization’s president, said in a release.

The survey found that 36 percent of respondents expect to increase total employment, a modest increase that would not dramatically reduce the state’s unemployment rate.

Additionally, concerns over government budgets, business regulations, health care costs, and state and national debt levels led 29 percent of respondents to say they were neither optimistic not pessimistic.

“Businesses are clearly taking a ‘wait and see’ approach because of these uncertainties,” Hamilton said. “Since many of these issues are geopolitical, they may not be resolved quickly. This could hold down job growth throughout 2012.”