It has been a tough year for workers, employers and perhaps even our politicians, although in the case of the MPs their woes it could be argued have been self inflicted. It has also been a struggle for the employment agencies as their teams strive to find jobs for an increasing number of people in the UK.

The difficulty has of course been tens if not hundreds of people are applying for the same roles and there haven?t been enough jobs to go round. However, it seems prospects are looking a little brighter following a report published by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) at the beginning of November.

The report?s findings showed sharp rises in both permanent and temporary staff appointments during October. This rise in permanent appointments was the sharpest in two years and was the third consecutive month of growth.

REC Chief Executive Kevin Green said: ?These figures show that the UK jobs market is on the road to recovery, with signs of improvement for the third month in a row. The demand for permanent recruitment is returning as employers start to hire people at an accelerating rate.???

Some experts now feel that the once anticipated unemployment level of 3 million may not happen, which would be a huge relief to many in the country. That said, competition for jobs is still great and people should be well prepared to take their chance when a vacancy arises.

Employment agencies like Humres provide helpful advice about preparing and keeping CVs up to date. Should the time arise when you are called for an interview with a potential employer, recruitment agency staff can also provide helpful tips and advice.