07/07/2010 Esther McClaren, Shortlist

The Aquent Market Eye poll of 500 employers in Australia and New Zealand found that 50% of respondents had increased their permanent headcount in the past six months, and 55% expected to hire additional perm staff in the next six months.

Some 55% of companies also said that they had increased salaries in the previous six months.

Aquent regional director of Australia and New Zealand, Simon Lusty, said that while there was still some caution in the design and marketing sectors when it came to temporary staff, the permanent hiring freeze of 2009 was clearly beginning to thaw.

"Following the catastrophic decline in hiring intentions throughout 2009, widespread staff redundancies and general panic... it is pleasing to see that the employment market has bounced back in 2010," Lusty said.