Latest UK employment figures, which have seen unemployment levels fall by 5,000.

Bernard Brown, partner and head of business services, KPMG Management Consulting, says: “Optimism gradually seems to be emerging from pockets of the business community and is perhaps best expressed in the latest official employment figures. We may still be facing a tough economic climate but, by stepping up their recruitment programmes, organisations up and down the country are giving the clearest indication yet that they are confident about their long-term future.

“One concern, however, remains that of candidate capability. No organisation will – or should – fill vacancies for the sake of plugging a gap. The dilemma they face, however, is that without enough staff in place, productivity will continue to suffer and, with the wrong staff in place, productivity could decline. Perhaps the answer lies in a dual strategy – on one hand organisations should continue to invest in recruitment. Yet at the same time they need to ensure the staff already at their disposal are skilled sufficiently to do the jobs they have today, whilst also being readied to do the jobs of tomorrow.”