The second Osborne Clarke-Recruiter recruitment sector mergers and acquisitions (M&A) barometer survey is underway this week, with an 11 April deadline to participate.

The survey is intended to measure interest among recruiters in buying or selling recruitment businesses over the next three months.

Recruiter editor DeeDee Doke says: “We are very keen to see how the recruitment sector views the M&A climate at the moment: a new Budget, the upcoming implementation of challenging legislation and the promise of a simplified tax system could, individually and combined, affect decisions to buy or sell.

“The survey we are conducting with our partners Osborne Clarke will produce a valuable barometer for those in and outside the industry to gauge the potential of their next move.”

Kevin Barrow, strategic sourcing partner at Osborne Clarke, adds: “We are still hearing lots of positive comment about M&As in the recruitment sector, with the Aston Carter deal this year being one successful high profile completion.

“There are also quite a few new deals just starting. It seems that some private equity investors may look to exit existing investments in this period. Another influence is the mark of globalisation and the apparent need major recruiters have for greater scale and wider footprint.

“It will be interesting to see whether current geo-political problems affect the economy and depress this market, and also whether uncertainties about the impact of the AWR will delay some deals.”

To participate in the survey, visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/68JBSN9