60% of financial services firms have begun to start hiring more leaders at middle to senior management level, according to the latest quarterly report from Barclay Meade, entitled ‘Tracking UK Recruitment’ .

The professional staffing recruitment consultancy’s report also indicates that firms are finding it hard to fill the positions, with 30% reporting a lack of skilled candidates available.

Barclay Meade says rhe improvement in the industry has been reflected by the latest CBI / PwC Financial Services Survey Report which revealed firms considered the level of their business to be only slightly behind normal, the best result since the economic downturn began in September 2007.

The recession, which caused many financial services firms to cut back, resulted in layers of management being removed. But businesses are now looking forward to the future and 61% of firms are cautiously optimistic about business performance for 2011, Barclay Meade reports.

For the research, Barclay Meade interviewed financial services managers and owners about their current recruitment plans and the landscape of their future workforce. It established that 17% of firms are currently operating a recruitment freeze, down from 25% in Q4 but the figure still remains higher than any other sector.

30% of firms fear the threat of a double dip recession within the next six months while 32% are recruiting at graduate level.

Mark McFall, Barclay Meade director and finance specialist, said: “With the recession causing many financial services businesses to restructure their organisation