British finance companies say their difficulty in recruiting more staff is due to a serious shortage of skills.
The view is shared by 98% of companies which reported that their quest to hire more personnel is a challenge because of the problem of finding suitable staff.
The majority (52%) of companies in the sector say they are hoping to expand their workforce this year, with 90% saying there are optimistic about economic growth this year which could encourage further growth.
Recruitment agency Robert Half said companies were searching for professionals in financial services and accountancy and finance, as well as specialised professionals with strong commercial acumen and communications skills.
The growth in finance hiring shows a clear departure from the seven long years of the Great Recession during which hiring was driven largely by hiring compliance officers to implement increasing regulation.
Now the trend is hiring to meet growth of services and products.
