Eight in 10 businesses are set to employ more people in 2017, according to our latest Recruitment Outlook & Salary Survey report.

An upsurge of optimism among employers is the main finding from a wide-reaching survey of businesses in North Staffordshire and South Cheshire.

The new survey found 81 per cent of businesses surveyed were planning to recruit more permanent staff and 43 per cent were looking to recruit for temporary jobs.

The survey also contains a section benchmarking salary levels for a wide range of roles.

Managing Director, Emma Bonfiglio, said: “Optimism is high among companies and this should translate into jobs and growth in the local economy.

“Notably, the British Chambers of Commerce recently upgraded its forecasts for economic growth and locally we can look forward to potential significant jobs growth due to Crewe becoming a major hub for HS2.

The Constellation Partnership, formerly known as the Northern Gateway Development Zone, intends to deliver 120,000 new jobs by 2040 in an area spanning much of Staffordshire and Cheshire.”

The upsurge in optimism is reflected in the confidence of employees. We found that 66 per cent of workers plan to ask for a pay rise in the next 12 months.

For more insights into the local recruitment landscape and to view our salary survey benchmarking tool, click here to download your free copy of the report.