More than one-third of UK employers say they have job openings for which they cannot find qualified candidates, according a poll by CareerBuilder.co.uk.

It found over the next three months, 40% of UK employers say they plan to increase headcount, 10% say they will decrease headcount, while 42% anticipate no change.

The survey found 20% of UK employers say they will recruit in bulk, expecting to add more than 100 new employees to their staff in 2007, 40% said they will recruit up to 50 new workers.

It found that as the UK labour market continues to tighten, employers will become more aggressive in their efforts to recruit and retain their top talent.

Dave Smith, managing director of CareerBuilder.co.uk. told Recruiter: “It will mean that recruiters and job boards will have to be more specific, with specific job postings, but this will generate better results.”

The survey highlighted seven major trends for 2007. These include: salary increases, the re-hiring of retired workers, increased flexible working practices, and increased training.