Public sector hiring spree before election

The recruitment spree could be a pre-election blip 
The recruitment spree could be a pre-election blip 
MARTIN RICKETT/PA

The public sector is hiring at levels not seen in four years as the government strengthens frontline services before May’s general election.

Strong jobs growth in health and education is planned over the next few months in a “pre-election hiring spike”, according to ManpowerGroup, the recruitment company. Web developers and other technological skills are also in high demand as the government pushes ahead with digitisation.

Mark Cahill, the UK managing director of ManpowerGroup, said that the sharp increase in recruitment intentions was not a coincidence: “You’d think that, with austerity cuts across government departments, public sector hiring would be in the doldrums, but we’re seeing the reverse.

“I don’t think anyone wants to see health and education suffering, and the coalition won’t want to hear