(RALEIGH) -- On the heels of disappointing May job numbers, a survey of business executives shows a slight uptick in hiring could be on the way.  Duke University finance professor John Graham said the latest quarterly CFO Magazine Business Outlook survey shows many will be looking to add positions.

"They do expect to increase their number of full-time employees by 2.5 percent," said Graham. "What that translates into is an unemployment rate that would fall not just below 8 percent but as low as 7.5 percent by this time next year."

Graham cautions that if more people enter the workforce, the actual unemployment could remain at or near current levels.