Employers across the country in each of the 13 industry sectors plan to hire more employees in this quarter, meaning a possible boost in insurance activity.

The anticipated increase in employment is 8%, up from 6% during the same period last year, according to a quarterly employment outlook survey by Manpower.

Additional hiring can affect many lines of insurance, as employers add health, property-casualty and voluntary benefits.

The net employment outlook in the financial activities sector, which includes insurance, is 9%, up from 4% last quarter, the survey found. The net employment outlook the difference between the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.

“Nearly all of the of the key data points in our survey show that employers are positive, but hiring plans are still reserved due to their continued ability to manage the slowly increasing demand with the existing workforce,” said Jonas Prising, Manpower’s president of the Americas, in a statement. “In the U.S., we are holding on to hard-won job gains and waiting for the time when the growth in demand for goods and services will require more substantial workforce additions.”

Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia hold “strong” or “active” employment outlook’s for this quarter.

Washington, D.C.’s second-quarter net employment outlook is 12%, down from 13% last quarter. Exactly 17% of D.C.’s companies plan to hire more employees.

“The Quarter 2 2011 survey results tells us that [D.C.] employers are equally positive about their hiring intentions compared to Quarter 1 2011 when the Net Employment Outlook was 13%,” said Manpower spokesman Michael Doyle in a statement.

Maryland’s net employment outlook is 13%, up from 6% last quarter. About 18% of Maryland companies plan to hire more employees.

Delaware’s second quarter net employment outlook is 15%, up from 7% last quarter. About 21% of Delaware employers expect to hire more employees in second quarter 2011.

Virginia’s net employment outlook is 13%, up from 4% last quarter. Exactly 18% of the state’s companies plan to hire more employees.

The New Jersey employment outlook, at 2%, is one of the weakest in the nation.

About 11% of companies plan to hire more employees.

New York’s employment outlook is “positive,” while Pennsylvania’s rates “solid.”

Pennsylvania’s net employment outlook is 11%, up from 4% last quarter. About 17% of Pennsylvania companies plan to hire more employees.

New York’s net employment outlook is 8%, up from 6% last quarter. About 15% of New York companies plan to hire more employees.

North Carolina’s employment outlook rated “fair.” The state’s net employment outlook is 5%, up from 4% last quarter. Exactly 13% of North Carolina companies plan to hire more employees.

The Manpower survey included more than 18,000 employers nationally in 13 workforce sectors: leisure and hospitality; mining; professional and business services; durable goods manufacturing; wholesale and retail trade; nondurable goods manufacturing; financial activities; information; transportation and utilities; other services; construction; education and health services; and government.