Insurance staff can rest assured about their ability to move to new jobs. A major local recruiter says the insurance industry is leading in the drive for new jobs.

Recruitment giant Manpower says hiring expectations among employers are strong. Its quarterly survey of employers published last week shows a far from bleak assessment of Australian jobs, for the first time in a year releasing a positive hiring intentions report.

The survey of 2800 employers across the country has revealed a moderate increase in hiring plans for the next three months, with 71% claiming they will not be shedding staff.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey shows insurance has been the strongest industry for the past couple of quarters with a net employment outlook of 9%.

In comparison, the services sector has an outlook of 7%, public administration and education 1%, transportation and utilities 0%, mining and construction -1%, wholesale and retail trade -1%, and manufacturing -8%.