Recruitment leaders think the financial services job market will recover in 2009, according to a new survey.

The survey, from the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), found that 69% of retained executive search firm chief executives and heads of financial services practices think the financial job service market will be resurgent in 2009, with 44% claiming that the recovery will take place in the first half of the year and 25% saying that it will not happen until the end of next year.

For the first quarter of 2008, there has been a decrease of 7.2% in financial services executive searches started on 2007.

Peter Felix, president of the AESC, said: “While executive search in financial services has slowed, it has not stopped completely. The activity we are seeing in selective parts of the sector will continue through 2008 and our members are optimistic that the overall job market in financial services will rebound in early 2009.”

What do you think? Send us your views