The worldwide outlook for hiring is positive, according to the quarterly survey from US recruitment giant Manpower.

Of the 24 countries it surveyed, only Italy has a negative outlook.

“Despite the high fuel prices and other challenges, the global labour market looks set to improve in most of Europe and Asia in the second quarter,” said Manpower chairman and chief executive Jeffrey Joerres.

Spain, Norway, Sweden, Ireland and the UK are the strongest European markets. Spanish, Swiss and Dutch employers are reporting their strongest hiring intentions since the survey began in these countries.

Germany, Europe's biggest economy, has shown a big improvement from last quarter and from a year ago, with strong activity anticipated in finance and insurance.