Two-thirds of all job applications and CVs are misleading, according to research from the Risk Advisory Group. Women in their early 30s are seen as the group most likely to distort the truth, with 77% of their CVs containing an inaccuracy.

Younger men in their early 20s are seen as the most reliable, with a relatively low 50% of CVs containing a lie or inaccuracy.

Overall, two-thirds of CVs submitted by job applicants had errors, a rise of 16% over figures from 2002, when 56% of CVs were considered to be suspect.

The research, which was based on an analysis of 3,000 CVs, discovered discrepancies ranging from gaps in employment to falsified qualifications and fraud against previous employers.

Bill Waite, chief executive of the Risk Advisory Group, said: “The message for employers is to be far more rigorous in checking out new potential employees. In a tougher job market, the temptations for exaggeration or downright lying increase dramatically.”