The company addresses its nine-point programme of tax reform, education improvements and other wide-ranging business actions to “the elected government” and challenges the government to “make employment its number one priority as it sets out its policies”.

“The only way of creating long-term, sustainable employment is to create the right … framework to nurture new businesses and encourage exisiting ones to grow. To compete and win on the world stage, Britain needs a well-trained workforce and a job-friendly fiscal and regulatory regime,” Hays chief executive Alistair Cox told Recruiter.

“The themes set out in this manifesto are exactly those which are needed to return the UK to a path of enterprise and growth,” said Andrew Haldenby, director of independent think tank Reform. Reform was Hays’ partner in developing the research.

For the nine-point manifesto, visit www.recruiter.co.uk.