Delivering his fifth budget today, chancellor George Osborne told the House of Commons that this was a budget for the makers the doers and the savers.  He said that he didn’t promise a quick fix but a budget “for rebuilding a resilient economy, part of a long term economic plan.”

“Today, we support manufacturing and back all regions in the country.”

Jeff Blakemore of Optionis, home to umbrella company Parasol and contractor accountant ClearSky, said: “Technical recruiters operating in sectors such as engineering, manufacturing and oil & gas are the staffing sector’s winners from today’s Budget.

“Measures such as the £7bn package to cut energy bills for manufacturers should increase the profitability of the sector, boosting job creation and, with it, demand for the skills of recruiters.”

Osborne said Britain was growing at a faster rate than any other advanced economy - revising growth forecasts up to 2.7% in 2014 - but he warned the job of recovery was "far from done".

“No major advanced economy is growing faster than the UK,” he said pointing to a record number in work overall, including a record number of women. 

“That is what we mean when we say we are getting Britain working.”

Measures announced in Osborne's fifth Budget speech include:

Many high street businesses to see £1,000 a year cut in business rates. 

• A pledge to cut energy bills by £7bn to British manufacturers
• Osborne confirmed that corporation tax would be cut from 23% to 21% in two weeks time and to 20% next year
• For 40% tax-rate payers he announced a rise in the threshold from £41,450 to £41,865 and £42, 285 next year.
• Increase in personal tax allowance to £10,500
• A new "garden city" at Ebbsfleet in addition to plans for 200,000 new homes

National insurance for employers is to be removed from workers under 21 from next year, “taking them out of this jobs tax all together, ” and the number of grants for 100,000 more apprentices will also increase.

Peter Searle, chief executive officer (CEO) of Adecco Group UK & Ireland, said on today’s Budget: “We welcome the announcement by the Chancellor in today’s Budget to remove National Insurance contributions for under 21’s and to extend grants for small businesses to support 100,000 more apprenticeships. 

“However, the Chancellor has failed to acknowledge the extent of the situation as thousands of school and university leavers still continue to struggle in their search for employment.”

In response to the Budget, Labour leader Ed Milliband said that the chancellor was painting a picture millions of people didn’t recognise.

He said the government was overseeing “a race to the bottom” with people needing to do two to three jobs just to make ends meet

He said this was an economy characterised by “low paid insecure work”.  “That is why this government is not the solution to Britain’s cost of living crisis but part of the problem.”