Employment prospects brighten

JOB prospects in Britain are continuing to improve with more and more employers expecting to recruit new staff, according to a Manpower survey published today, writes Paul Durman.

Responses from more than 2,100 leading employers show 22 per cent forecasting job increases in the second quarter of 1994 while 12 per cent predict losses. The positive net balance of 10 per cent compares with a negative 1 per cent a year ago.

Only in North-east England are employers forecasting net job losses. Prospects are the best for four years in London, where forecasts have swung from a 5 per cent negative balance to 10 per cent positive.

The biggest surge of optimism has come in the East Midlands, where Manpower found a positive net balance of 20 per cent.

Prospects in manufacturing look increasingly good, but public sector employers are still forecasting net job losses. Vehicle manufacturers are looking to recruit, with a positive net balance of 24 per cent after a negative 1993 reading of 6 per cent.

The electrical and electronic engineering sector is also strongly optimistic.