BERLIN, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- German companies' willingness to recruit more employees experienced a slight dip in February, the ifo research institute reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, the ifo employment barometer index fell to 102.9 points this month from 103.0 points in January.

Indexes of the trade and manufacturing sectors were responsible for the decline, while the barometer indexes have risen in construction and the service sector, the Munich-based think tank said.

"Despite the cooling in the economy, the German labor market remains stable," the report noted, adding that "the number of employees will continue to rise."

The ifo Employment Barometer is based on about 9,000 monthly responses from businesses in manufacturing, construction, trade and the service sectors.

The surveyed companies are asked to report on their employment plans for the coming three months.