US hiring levels did not bounce back in January, according to a new survey.

The survey, from business intelligence firm Wanted Technologies, shows that this year’s post-holiday recovery in the level of hiring demand is the lowest seen since the data series began.

Bruce Murray, president and chief executive of Wanted, says: “Wanted’s January Hiring Demand data confirms other measures of economic activity. If employers were more confident about the state of the economy, they would be advertising for new workers at much higher levels.”