DEMAND for permanent and temporary workers across the county is soaring, according to experts.

Bosses at Oxford recruitment agency Allen Associates say they have seen a 33 per cent increase in job vacancies over the last six months.

This comes on the back of a significant rise in turnover of the agency’s temporary division, which increased by £175,000 in the first half of 2013 from the same period last year. Total revenues in the second quarter of 2013 rose by £186,000 compared with the second quarter of the previous year.

Managing director Kate Allen said: “Recruitment has almost returned to pre-recession levels and demand for quality candidates is at the highest we’ve seen in five years.

“The human resources sector is particularly buoyant as many of the roles which were made redundant during the recession are now being reinstated.

“These include in-house recruitment, training and development roles at all levels, which shows businesses are once again in a position to invest in their staff — an area often cut during difficult trading periods.”

Ms Allen added that marketing and business development was being stepped up as firms looked to put the recession behind them.

She said: Marketing roles continue to do well, particularly in design and digital, where we are seeing rapid expansion. Candidates with agency experience are proving hard to come by though, further fuelling demand. We are also placing a lot more PAs and secretaries in estate agencies and property consultancies, reflecting renewed activity in the housing market.

“Demand for temporary workers is at an all-time high, up 38 per cent on the previous six-month period. These roles are not at the expense of permanent positions, more a reflection of how rapidly some businesses are expanding.”