The index reveals that the picture in Europe is less rosy for jobseekers, with only Luxembourg registering a rise in advertised jobs. The steepest drops were Switzerland (-10 per cent), Spain (-9 per cent), and Ireland and Belgium, both -9 per cent.

The report shows increasing signs of strength across a number of sectors in the UK, including financial services (+27 per cent), energy (+25 per cent) and supply chain & logistics (+22 per cent). Other areas of the professional job market to show growth are: insurance (+16 per cent), legal (+15 per cent) and manufacturing (+14 per cent).

However, the report reveals big variations across the UK, with Scotland, the North-East and the North-West generating the largest increases in advertised vacancies, and outstripping the traditional hot-spots of London and the South-East.

Chris Hickey, chief executive officer of Robert Walters UK, Middle East and Africa, says: “There was an element of cautious confidence in the market in the second quarter, particularly evident in London and the South-East. Large financial services institutions showed signs of improvement, and people within this sector have been more confident in seeking new opportunities.“

Source: The Recruiter