Job postings rose by 6% between Q1 and Q2, according to the latest Totaljobs Barometer.

The report also shows that job applications increased by 1% on Q1.

London is the most competitive region, recording 32 applications per job, while most sectors have reported signs of growth.

The public sector is the exception with nursing hit hard, recording a 22% decline in job postings between Q2 2009 and Q2 2010.

John Salt, director at Totaljobs.com, says: “A slight rise in recruitment has encouraged those in employment to have the confidence to seek their next position. This has ramped up the competition for those out of employment and, as a consequence, pitched the desperate against the ambitious in a two-speed jobs market.”