Public sector employers are positive about taking on new staff this year, according to the giant recruitment firm Manpower.

The company’s latest employment outlook survey questioned 2,100 UK employers on whether they anticipated a change in total employment by the end of March.

The balance of public sector employers looking to take on more staff is +15%. This means that 20% are looking to take on staff, with 5% planning to reduce numbers, and is the highest first-quarter result for four years and a represents a year-on-year rise of 4%.

Chris Cox, business manager at Manpower, said: “The majority of positions are temporary assignments, lasting an average of three months. However, we are seeing an increase in demand for permanent staff, a sure sign of confidence.”

Kevin Kearney, divisional director of Eden Brown’s public sector division, believes the surge in demand for temps is largely driven by companies’ growing workloads and employers’ inability to recruit permanent staff due to increasingly tight levels of supply.

“What these organisations will need is fewer, more effective staff so they can maintain their services while making reductions in spend,” said Kearney.

“Given that the government’s desire is to cut costs across the public sector, I would foresee more public sector employers acquiring solutions to improve efficiency and performance while controlling costs,” he added.