Financial services hiring set to rise - survey

Some of the biggest rises will be in accountancy and marketing, according to the report by the recruitment firm Joslin Rowe. Demand for compliance and legal jobs, as well as fund management positions, will also increase sharply.

Increases in sales and trading jobs, as well as other front office positions, will be less marked. However more firms plan a staff increase than a decrease in all 10 sectors surveyed.

The poll covered 128 companies including investment banks, fund managers, insurance companies, professional services firms and management consultants.

The number of companies reporting difficulties in recruiting skilled staff jumped from 55% a year ago to 63% now. Pay rises in 2003 were mostly below 5%, but in fund management they averaged 6%-9%.

While 57% of all companies said they were actively trying to increase staff diversity, the figure was 92% among investment banks.