Barclays Capital (BarCap), the investment banking arm of Barclays, is on a hiring spree to take on another 100 bankers, according to a report in the Independent. This is in addition to 140 bankers and traders taken on since September.

The new staff are a result of BarCap seeking to build up its M & A activities, and its European equities business.

Nicholas Broughton, director of Fortuna Search & Selection, told Recruiter that with so many bankers out of work, this was a great time for BarCap to be taking on staff. “There so many good people in the market,” said Broughton.

Competition for jobs would be tough, he added, and only those who could “bring something significant to the table” would be successful.