By . Ruth Sunderland, Associate City Editor . PUBLISHED: . 22:41 EST, 8 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 22:52 EST, 8 December 2013 . Confidence is rising among UK firms and job vacancies are growing at their fastest rate since 1998, reports published today claim. They give another boost to Chancellor George Osborne with more evidence that the recovery is taking hold. One survey on the jobs market . found that the demand from companies for new staff is increasing faster . than at any time in the past 15 years. Recovery: Although millions are still out of work, reports published today suggest demand for workers is rising . The growth in salaries for those taken on in permanent positions is at a six-year high, because fewer good candidates are on the market. Demand for new staff was much stronger in the wealth-creating private sector than in the public sector, according to a survey by accountancy firm KPMG and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC). Recruitment & Employment Confederation chief executive Kevin Green, pictured, said 'all regions' in Britain are in growth . The greatest demand for new permanent . staff was in the Midlands, indicating the economic revival is not . confined to London and the South East. Engineering showed the strongest growth among the professions, suggesting a pick-up in Britain’s manufacturing industry. Kevin Green, chief executive of REC, said . the report showed ‘all sectors, all regions and both the private and . public sector are in growth, which is fantastic news for British . businesses, the UK economy and people looking for work in 2014’. A separate report by accountants BDO found that firms’ confidence levels rose to a three and a half year high in November. Its ‘Optmism Index’ rose to 103.1 last . month, from 101.7 in October and just 91.4 in November 2012. A figure . above 100 shows that firms think growth will be better than the long run . average, while a reading of less than 100 indicates they are . pessimistic and believe it will be below the trend. ‘This is a strong and broad-based recovery’, said Peter Hemington, a partner at BDO. ‘I think we can finally say that the key economic battleground has . shifted from austerity to the new debate about how the government can . help UK businesses achieve sustained growth in the context of a dynamic, . internationally competitive economy.’ Relief: The reports will be welcome news to the Chancellor George Osborne, pictured on Friday visiting a JCB factory in Rocester, Staffordshire. His Autumn Statement was adamant that the recovery is well under way . The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said last week that more than one million jobs will be created in the next five years, with the number in work reaching a record 31.2 million in 2018. Unemployment is set to fall from the current rate of 7.6 per cent to 7 per cent in 2015 and 5.6 per cent in 2018. The OBR more than doubled its growth forecast for 2013 from 0.6 per cent to 1.4 per cent and for 2014 from 1.8 per cent to 2.4 per cent. That allowed the Chancellor to boast that Britain is now growing faster than any major developed economy, with job creation in the private sector more than making up for losses in the taxpayer-funded public sector. Research by Lloyds Bank also published today found business activity is strong across all regions of England.
Vacancies opening up in the private sector with a shortage of skilled staff .
Claims made in report by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation .
It said the Midlands and the engineering sector show the greatest demand .
By . Ruth Sunderland, Associate City Editor . PUBLISHED: . 22:41 EST, 8 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 22:52 EST, 8 December 2013 . Confidence is rising among UK firms and job vacancies are growing at their fastest rate since 1998, reports published today claim. They give another boost to Chancellor George Osborne with more evidence that the recovery is taking hold. One survey on the jobs market . found that the demand from companies for new staff is increasing faster . than at any time in the past 15 years. Recovery: Although millions are still out of work, reports published today suggest demand for workers is rising . The growth in salaries for those taken on in permanent positions is at a six-year high, because fewer good candidates are on the market. Demand for new staff was much stronger in the wealth-creating private sector than in the public sector, according to a survey by accountancy firm KPMG and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC). Recruitment & Employment Confederation chief executive Kevin Green, pictured, said 'all regions' in Britain are in growth . The greatest demand for new permanent . staff was in the Midlands, indicating the economic revival is not . confined to London and the South East. Engineering showed the strongest growth among the professions, suggesting a pick-up in Britain’s manufacturing industry. Kevin Green, chief executive of REC, said . the report showed ‘all sectors, all regions and both the private and . public sector are in growth, which is fantastic news for British . businesses, the UK economy and people looking for work in 2014’. A separate report by accountants BDO found that firms’ confidence levels rose to a three and a half year high in November. Its ‘Optmism Index’ rose to 103.1 last . month, from 101.7 in October and just 91.4 in November 2012. A figure . above 100 shows that firms think growth will be better than the long run . average, while a reading of less than 100 indicates they are . pessimistic and believe it will be below the trend. ‘This is a strong and broad-based recovery’, said Peter Hemington, a partner at BDO. ‘I think we can finally say that the key economic battleground has . shifted from austerity to the new debate about how the government can . help UK businesses achieve sustained growth in the context of a dynamic, . internationally competitive economy.’ Relief: The reports will be welcome news to the Chancellor George Osborne, pictured on Friday visiting a JCB factory in Rocester, Staffordshire. His Autumn Statement was adamant that the recovery is well under way . The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said last week that more than one million jobs will be created in the next five years, with the number in work reaching a record 31.2 million in 2018. Unemployment is set to fall from the current rate of 7.6 per cent to 7 per cent in 2015 and 5.6 per cent in 2018. The OBR more than doubled its growth forecast for 2013 from 0.6 per cent to 1.4 per cent and for 2014 from 1.8 per cent to 2.4 per cent. That allowed the Chancellor to boast that Britain is now growing faster than any major developed economy, with job creation in the private sector more than making up for losses in the taxpayer-funded public sector. Research by Lloyds Bank also published today found business activity is strong across all regions of England.
by accountancy firm KPMG and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC). Recruitment & are in growth . The greatest demand for new permanent . staff was in the Midlands, indicating said . the report showed ‘all sectors, all economy, with job creation in the private sector