Employment surveys are painting financial services recruitment trends in a rosy light, with middle management a hot item in a resurgent job market.

As figures from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations show vacancies for skilled workers up 11% on 12 months ago – despite a 7% fall in April – recruiters are reporting demand in the financial services industry remains strong.

Alliance Recruitment, the financial services recruitment wing of Clarius, says activity in the corporate and financial services fields shot up 25% in the March quarter.

Demand for insurance brokers and financial planners is particularly high as consumers return to “more aggressive investments in light of a rebounding economy”.

“We predicted a potential war for talent when the December quarter index came out showing strong demand increases coming off the GFC,” Clarius Group COO Kym Quick said.

“And we are seeing it now getting into full swing across a number of recruitment sectors.”

The Clarius quarterly skills index says most available jobs are temporary, with middle management positions – those most severely hit with redundancies and sackings during the GFC – staging a comeback.

The burgeoning employment market is also stirring a degree of churn, according to a recent survey by financial services recruitment firm Robert Half.

More than 50% of those surveyed say the employment market has improved sufficiently for them to seek out new job opportunities.

Director Andrew Brushfield says many employees felt their efforts during the GFC had been either ignored or barely acknowledged.

“They’ve been sitting tight for some time now, working harder and working longer but their efforts have been unrewarded and in many cased unnoticed,” he said.

Earlier this month, insuranceNEWS.com.au reported the demand for risk management professionals is buoyant as the fallout from the GFC continues to impact on internal auditing departments.