A new report is forecasting that Kansas employment will grow this year at a "slightly faster rate" than in 2012 and will add nearly 24,000 jobs to the state’s economy.

The Center for Economic Development and Business Research on Tuesday predicted 1.8 percent job growth for an estimated 23,794 new jobs.

The agency’s director, Jeremy Hill, acknowledges that is still a slow rate of growth but says the forecast is nonetheless fairly optimistic.

Most of those new jobs are coming in the service sector, which is expected to grow by 2.2 percent. That includes everything from lawyers to hotel workers.

The energy and construction industries are also adding jobs.