NEW SURVEY WILL BE GOOD NEWS FOR JOB HUNTERS

 NEW SURVEY WILL BE GOOD NEWS FOR J HUNTERS

Monday, March 15, 2010, 07:13 - Source - Express & Echo (www.thisisexeter.co.uk)

THE outlook for job hunters in Exeter could be improving, according to a new survey.

One in four firms polled in the latest survey of members by the city's chamber of commerce said they expected to take on new staff in the coming months. Only seven per cent expected to make further cuts in staff numbers.

The hiring intentions of Exeter companies are significantly stronger than this time last year, when the survey found just 11 per cent planning to recruit while 15 per cent expected to shed staff.

The proportion of chamber members reporting that they have increased employee numbers has been gradually rising over the past 12 months, and 27 per cent say they have recruited new staff during 2010.

The first Exeter Business Survey of the year also reveals more good news for workers - 60 per cent of companies questioned said they will be giving pay increases to their staff this year.

And there are signs that trading conditions are improving for businesses in the area, with 55 per cent reporting an increase in sales, compared to just 28 per cent this time last year.

Derek Phillips, chairman of Exeter Chamber of Commerce, said: "The results show a positive start to 2010 which we hope continues following the coming Budget and general election."

But the survey also revealed a mixed picture in some areas, with a quarter of respondents reporting a reduction in their profit margins, suggesting firms are still having to cut prices to win business. The pressure on margins, however, appears to have eased slightly in recent months.

Nearly two-thirds of firms are still operating at below capacity, while the number planning future investment dipped from 49 per cent in December to 26 per cent this month.

The chamber has presented the results of its survey to the Bank of England's agent for the South West, Kevin Butler.

The meeting was also attended by Kate Barker, a member of the bank's Monetary Policy Committee, who was on a two-day visit to Devon and Cornwall. She repeated her view to members that for the overall UK economy the recovery will be bumpy.