According to financial adviser Grant Thornton, 49% of these businesses will keep their staff levels the same and 19% expect an increase.
But just under a third (31%) think their staff levels will decrease, giving a balance of
-12%, which is the first time the UK has seen a negative outlook since 2003.
Nearly nine out of 10 (88%) of UK privately-held businesses plan to increase salaries in line with inflation this year or keep it the same as last year.
Clive Fathers, head of employer solutions at Grant Thornton, said: "Despite the bleak economic landscape, it is welcome news that the majority of UK privately-held businesses plan to hold steady and try to avoid making knee-jerk redundancies. Due to their size and structure privately-held businesses are far more agile than larger corporate organisations and can adopt creative working methods more easily."
Privately-owned businesses say they will hold on to staff or even increase numbers
More than two thirds (68%) of privately-held businesses are planning to stand firm in the recession and either keep staff levels the same or increase them over the coming year.
