Profits for recruitment firm CPL are substantially ahead of current market estimates for the year ended June 2004, it emerged last week.

The Eire-based company said that trading had continued to improve in line with the general improvement in the Irish labour market and added that results in the second half of 2003 to date had been ahead of expectations.

The firm’s chief executive Anne Heraty said: “At the time of the interim results, the group had produced a good performance for the half-year to 31 December 2003 in a challenging environment.

“Employment activity has improved for each of our divisions in 2004 with clients increasing their usage of flexible staffing. Permanent placement is also improving, particularly in the technology sector,” she added.