Do permanent headcount increases spell a dip in demand for temps? Far from it, say recruiters.

Interest in temporary and contract workers is soaring. 'Availability of permanent candidates can't keep pace with demand,' says Steve Forro of Indigo City. 'But the expense of employing temporaries means there's a constant push to get everyone signed up to the payroll.'

The most attractive contractors are those with specific skill-sets: 'If a bank's going to pay over the odds for a temporary accountant, they won't expect to have to hold their hands,' warns Forro. 'If they want someone with knowledge of a regulatory framework - such as Sarbanes-Oxley - they'll demand sufficient confidence and experience to hit the ground running with minimum input.'

Right now, demand is high at all levels, says Paul Baker, general manager of finance recruiters Poolia: 'Project accountants, project managers, product controllers and core finance managers are all being called for,' he says. 'Traditionally high staff turnover levels have held up requirements for more junior accountants and back office finance staff for essential business support roles.' For these roles, sector and product familiarity will often be priorities for employers.

Contractors and interim staff are nowadays components of any modern organisation's evolving flexible workforce, observes Baker: 'Implementation of company benefits such as paternity leave means there will be now be more regular instances where those gaps need to be bridged,' he says. 'And there will always be accountancy or change-based projects requiring a flexible workforce to enable companies to deliver within specified timeframes.'