International recruiter Hays witnessed a decline in its net fees but says client sentiment is improving, in a trading update for the quarter ended 31 December 2009.

Total net fees fell by 24% and were 30% down on the same period last year, while Hays says that net fee growth in the private sector has been offset by reduced demand in the public sector.

According to Hays, the firm has witnessed a stabilisation in demand in major markets and even an improvement in Asia Pacific, adding that headcount held at current levels.

Commenting on trading for the quarter ended 31 December 2009, Alistair Cox (pictured), chief executive of Hays, says: “Although specialist recruitment markets continue to be very challenging, candidate and client sentiment have improved over recent months and this is encouraging for future trends in the business. We are currently seeing stability in demand in all our major markets. In Asia Pacific, we have seen a return to sequential growth in demand, albeit at a modest rate.

“We have now successfully implemented our new IT database system in the UK and in a number of the international businesses. This provides us with an industry leading technology platform and, together with a strong global brand and experienced management team, will enable us to continue to win new accounts and take market share.”