Official figures have revealed that the recruitment industry in the United States has recovered slightly even though unemployment has risen.

Job figures from the US Labor Department for March showed the unemployment rate was 5.7%, an increase from the February figure of 5.5%, indicating a lack of demand for permanent jobs.

But temporary work agencies created 69,000 jobs, the second consecutive month of growth.

The industry has lost nearly a fifth of its jobs during a disastrous period between September 2000 and January 2002.

Overall, the services sector showed its first improvement since September 2000, with employment rising by 118,000.

During economic recoveries, the first area to show an increase in activity is temporary employment.