THE jobs market in the South-West has fallen this quarter, but remains firmly positive territory at +6%, according to workforce experts Manpower.

The outlook, in line with the UK national average, puts the South-West on a steady course after a couple of quarters of ups and downs in hiring intentions.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey asked 2,100 UK employers whether they intend to hire additional workers or reduce the size of their workforce in the coming quarter.

Manpower UK operations director Krissie Davies said: “Job prospects in the South-West are now in line with the UK national average after moving from negative into strongly positive territory in the last two quarters.

“We are seeing particular demand for candidates with experience in construction and senior sales roles.

“In these positions, as with many others, those candidates with strong CVs and the requisite skills hold the balance of power in terms of being able to choose the roles and organisations they really want.

“These candidates are able to negotiate hard on salary and employers who want to attract the best candidates are increasingly having to assess the salaries and benefits packages they are offering to make sure they are competitive.

“Our clients are also interested in making sure that they are top priority for the most skilled and experienced candidates in what is a very competitive market.

“Strong candidates often having a number of opportunities to choose from, and are able to compare salary, benefits and work-life balance before they decide which role to take.”

Going into the second quarter of 2015, the national Seasonally Adjusted Net Employment Outlook remains at +6% for the third successive quarter, indicating that the UK jobs market continues to plot a steadily optimistic course.