Business hiring intentions are at 'sky-high' levels with figures stronger than the heady days of the mid-2000s boom, according to the latest Business Trends Report by advisers BDO.
BDO's employment index has hit 113 in March, well above its long-term trend, suggesting that UK firms will continue to boost job creation in the coming months.
However workers' output per hour has been static during the last two years of the recovery, a period of flat productivity unprecedented since 1945 and a trend unique amongst advanced economies.
However BDO's output and optimism measures, which predict economic growth three and six months ahead, remain significantly above the 100 mark which indicates growth above the long-term trend. The output index rose to 103.9 while the optimism Index held firm at 104.9, its highest since summer 2014.
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