GRAHAM HISCOTT Jobs ads rise defies EU fear Higher pay on offer despite Brexit

BUSINESSES are advertising more jobs and offering higher salaries despite fears about the impact of Brexit on the economy.

Vacancies adverts have risen 12.1% compared with the same period last year, says a study by online recruitment firm CV Library.

The top two cities for ads growth were Portsmouth and Brighton.

And researchers found advertised salaries in cities were also on the rise, with Aberdeen up 21.1%, Bristol 7.5% and Edinburgh 3.9% higher.

Lee Biggins, managing director of Cv-library said: “Businesses are recognising the need to offer competitive salaries to attract talented candidates.

“Pushing up salaries is a strategy that can pay off. Businesses are remaining positive.”

The findings came as pressure built on Brexit secretary David Davis to secure transition agreements for after we leave the EU to give business more certainty around investment and strategy.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the CBI – one of the signatories of a private letter sent by business groups to Davis asking for more clarity – said: “There are very real human costs in terms of communities.

“Firms are drawing up contingency plans for what happens in December and hope real progress is made then.”

The CBI pointed to figures from the manufacturing sector which revealed optimism among companies had fallen in the last three months.

Its quarterly Industrial Trends Survey found growth in output, and domestic and export orders eased.

Expectations for spending on new equipment and buildings also weakened.