Jobs in sales reflects recovery, says Michael Page

The boss of recruitment giant Michael Page today said British companies were starting to up numbers in their sales forces, reflecting "the front end of an economic recovery".

"The sales industry is hiring again," said chief executive Steve Ingham. "That reflects the confidence of a lot of different industries — when things are looking brighter, businesses employ sales people to capitalise on that recovery."

Michael Page today posted a £91 million profit for the fourth quarter of 2009, 10 per cent higher than the previous three months.

Mr Ingham said the recruiter — which earns 70 per cent of its business from abroad — was enjoying "good levels of growth" in Asia and the Americas, but that the job market in the UK was not yet growing.

Michael Page said 2009 was "one of the most challenging years in its history", when the company cut 28 per cent of its staff. Full-year gross profit came in at £352 million, 41.2 per cent lower than 2008.