More than nine in 10 employers (94%) are planning to increase or maintain head count, according to the latest Recruitment & Employment Confederation’s February JobsOutlook.

The research also shows that 86% of employers plan to either keep the same level or increase their use of agency staff, while long term, 35% plan to increase their temporary workforce compared to 22% a year ago.

Roger Tweedy, the REC’s director of research, says: “It is a very positive sign that private sector employers are continuing to look to temporary staff to offer them flexibility while there is still concern over the UK economy. This trend also ties in with the latest findings from our ‘Report on Jobs’, which shows demand for staff at its highest level since June last year.

“Feedback from public sector employers suggests that they are reconfiguring their resourcing in the readiness for growth.”