Graduates can look forward to increased job prospects this summer.

UK employers in all industries and regions plan to increase hiring for the third consecutive quarter over the next three months.

The figures from the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey reveal employers in the utilities, finance and business services and hotels and retail sectors are reporting some of their strongest results, with hiring set to increase over the same period last year and last quarter.

This is in spite of the continued high interest rates and concerns about inflation.

Mark Cahill of Manpower UK said: “It is encouraging that UK employers feel positive about the future especially in the light of recent interest rate increases and inflation above the two percent target. The labour market has been remarkably robust and for now employers do not seem overly concerned.

“Hiring amongst finance and business services employers is still strong although this brings continuing challenges of recruiting quality staff to meet demand. Additional Manpower research shows that accounting and finance staff are amongst the most difficult positions to fill in the UK and the number of vacancies is also increasing.”