Regional divide on recovery

Job prospects are improving as the UK emerges from recession, but there is a "stark" difference between private firms and the public sector, according to a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) report yesterday.

The CIPD said the public sector was set for "widespread" cuts, while recruitment in private companies would "surge". A survey of almost 800 employers showed the private sector was more optimistic about creating jobs in the coming months, while public sector firms were "radically" more pessimistic.

The report also highlighted a divide between London and southern England, which were tipped to be the main engines of growth, and the rest of the UK, with employment set to fall further in Scotland and Wales.