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Nearly half of small and medium-sized companies surveyed by recruiter Michael Page plan to increase their headcount in 2014.
Forty eight per cent of more than 4,000 UK-based SMEs surveyed will hire this year, compared with 37% of large companies with a turnover higher than £150m.
The regions predicted to experience the greatest increase in job growth in SMEs are north east Scotland (58%), East Anglia (48%), London (42%) and Wales (36%), the survey found.
“SMEs are bullish compared to large companies in the core business hubs of the UK,” said Oliver Watson, managing director of Michael Page. “In London and the Home Counties, 41% of SMEs reported that they would increase headcount this year compared to only 20% of large companies.”
He added that this trend was also mirrored in the Midlands with 41% of SMEs reporting growing headcount aspirations versus 20% of large companies, and in the North West with 37%, compared to 32%, respectively.
Jobs will be most abundant in the professional services with approximately three out of five respondents saying that they will increase headcount.
“All major sectors which make up UK GDP have responded with encouraging signs of growth, in particular, 52% of automotive, 50% of construction, 40% of manufacturing, and 40% from banking businesses,” Watson added.
“Within these key sectors, SMEs are trumping large companies in relation to hiring optimism. For example in professional services, 11% of SME respondents said they had intentions to increase hiring versus 7% of large companies.”
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