The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that businesses are taking on more people and optimism is at its highest level since 1998.
Its survey of 151 firms said consumer and professional services are increasingly happy about the economic situation. However, businesses are still finding it hard to attract staff with the right skills.
Consumer services saw levels of business that were “comfortably above normal”, while professional services companies told the CBI that their business levels were above normal for the first time since November 2007.
Firms in the services sector said they were taking on extra staff and increasing spend on training and technology.
Source: The Times, Business, Page 36