Most hospitality firms predict a surge in demand for temporary workers in 2009, according to a new survey.

The survey, from hospitality recruiter Admiral shows that while 67% of respondents expected a delay in most recruitment decisions, 56% anticipate a greater need for temporary staff this year.

Most caterers (53%) said they would resist cutting training budgets in the year ahead even though 75% are under increasing pressure from clients to cut costs.  However, 71% of respondents said that while they have already considered how they can cut costs, they have not had to yet.

Paula Rogers, managing director of Admiral, says: “In the current climate, companies are looking at their costs carefully but I also think it’s wise to ensure a balance between savings and maintaining quality.  Staffing and training cuts are two areas that can immediately impact negatively on the customer and I was pleased to see that the majority of businesses are not planning to cut their training budgets. It will also be interesting to see if there’s a growing reliance on temporary workers this coming year as the survey responses indicate. We’ve noticed an increase in the number of clients looking to develop a strategic partnership with Admiral, which involves us becoming their ‘one-stop shop’ for staff, developing a core, specially trained team for them, and offering special reduced rates for this service.”