Employers in the UK are expressing their strongest New Year hiring
intentions since records began, according to the latest Manpower recruitment survey.

Across the UK, eight of the nine industry sectors surveyed by Manpower are planning to take on staff next quarter, with agriculture being the only one to expect cutbacks.

Finance and business services, transport and communications, community and social all reported recruitment figures above the national average.

Meanwhile, employers in 11 of the 12 regions surveyed intend to take on more staff in the quarter ahead, with those in the North East being the most optimistic where 28% of employers plan to expand their workforce.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey asked over 35,000 public and private sector employers in 19 countries to forecast hiring patterns for the period January to March 2005.