Nationwide recovery lifting Robert Walters recruitment agency

Robert Walters is seeing the recovery in the UK move out beyond London and the south-east, the recruitment agency said yesterday.

While group fee income rose by 7 per cent in the three months to the end of September, UK fees were up 21 per cent at £15.8m.

This was driven by growth in regional cities such as Birmingham and Manchester as firms relocated or set up more outsourcing centres.

"We are also starting to see stronger trends in all areas of Europe," the founder and chief executive, Robert Walters, said.

"France, which is our biggest operation on the Continent, is going well. There is a good recovery across Benelux and even Spain is improving."

Europe fees increased by 8 per cent to £10.3m in the latest quarter.

Asia Pacific showed a 1 per cent fall in revenues at £23.7m, which was almost entirely down to the weakening of the yen.

Mr Walters said all countries in the region showed growth except Australia.