CareerBuilder.com’s annual job forecast suggests that hiring could slow down slightly next year. Thirty-two percent of those surveyed plan to add full-time permanent employees in 2008, compared with 40 percent that planned to do so in 2007. Eight percent plan to decrease staffing levels.

Job creation could be strongest in professional and business services and information technology, with 45 percent of employers in those industries expecting to add full-time employees in 2008. The Midwest is the least optimistic region, with 28 percent of employers planning to increase staffing levels, compared with 36 percent in the South, 34 percent in the West and 31 percent in the Northeast.

The survey of 3,016 hiring managers and human resources professionals, which Harris Interactive conducted between Nov. 13 and Dec. 3, also revealed eight workplace trends for 2008 as employers ramp up recruiting and retention efforts. The trends are bigger paychecks, more flexible work arrangements, screening candidates on the Internet, rehiring retirees, diversity recruitment, freelance or contract hiring, more comprehensive health-care benefits or special perks, and opportunities for career advancement.

“Nearly one in five employers report it typically takes them two months or longer to fill their open positions, and 40 percent say they currently have open positions for which they can’t find qualified candidates,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.com, in a press release. “Recruitment and retention efforts are becoming increasingly competitive, and job seekers are likely to benefit in the new year.”