Confidence continues to rise among employers over their short term and long-term hiring intentions, according to the REC’s March JobsOutlook.

For the third month in a row the REC Confidence Index has risen to the highest point since last April last year.

Meanwhile, a quarter of employers plan to take on extra agency workers over the next three months and one in three expect to add to their temporary staffing levels over the next 12 months.

At the same time, 17% of employers anticipate increasing their permanent workforce over the next three months, while 24% of anticipate hiring more permanent staff over the next year – up one point on last month.