The number of new financial services posts in the City rose 11% month-on-month, according to March’s Morgan McKinley London Employment Monitor.

The Monitor also reveals that there was a 1% increase in job opportunities across the City compared to the same time the previous year.

Meanwhile, candidate numbers rose by 18%, while compared to the same time last year, financial services jobseeker numbers rose by 46%.

The average salary for those landing new jobs in the month, compared to those finding jobs in February, stood at £54,445 – 3% down on the previous month.

Andrew Evans, managing director, financial services, Morgan McKinley UK, says: “As Q1 draws to a close, anecdotal evidence from our clients points towards a return to a more ‘normal’ recruitment cycle. Over the first three months of the year, it’s usual to see job opportunities increasing due to the majority of bonuses now having been paid; recruitment budgets confirmed for replacement hiring and growth over the rest of the year.

“However, month-on-month job vacancy growth of only 11% was slightly lower than expected (particularly compared to 21% growth at the same time last year) due to further uncertainty in the global economy: including unrest in the Arab states; the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan; and the ongoing Sovereign debt issues in the eurozone.”