Employers in the East of England are stepping up their hiring intentions for the next three months, according to the latest quarterly survey by recruitment firm Manpower.

The Net Employment Outlook figure for the UK as a whole ? the difference between the proportion of employers expecting to increase their staffing levels and those expecting to cut their numbers ? has risen to plus 8% for the third quarter of 2014 compared with 7% for the second quarter.

And expectations among firms in the eastern region are outstripping the national average, with a balance of plus 12% compared with plus 8% for the previous three months.

The survey also indicates that growth in permanent jobs is likely to outstrip the number of temporary roles on offer, underlining confidence among employers in the strength of the economic recovery.

And Manpower says that, with the increase in permanent positions, employers are becoming more selective in the candidates they take on, resulting in skilled and experienced workers being snapped up quickly. This in turn is having a positive effect on pay in the region.

“Across the East of England, the jobs market has continued to show the signs of improvement that we have become used to in recent years, with a very noticeable uplift this quarter in the number of permanent roles that are coming online,” said Jason Greaves, operations manager at Manpower UK.

However, he added: “In spite of the volume of new roles that are being created, and the number of candidates that are coming through to us, a common theme we are experiencing is that the vast majority of the people applying for these roles lack the relevant skills and experience that employers are seeking.”

The East of England ranks second in the regional table, with only the South West (with a balance of plus 12%) more optimistic. The East Midlands, the South East and the West Midlands (+9%) also each exceed the national average, with a balance of 9%, and only Northern Ireland (minus 5%) expects a contraction in employment.

“From a national perspective, consistency has been the byword for the UK’s Employment Outlook over the last 18 months,” said Mark Cahill, Manpower Group UK managing director.

“While job prospects have been strong, it’s only now that we’re seeing a return to pre-recession hiring plans. What’s more, we’re seeing broad-based growth across permanent roles, the self-employed and contractors,”