Executive jobs in the UK are being filled twice as fast as the rest of Europe, with the average UK vacancy lasting little over a month, compared with six weeks last year.

In the UK the average executive vacancy shelf life is 36 days (down 29% from 2008). This compares with 134 days in France, 89 in Germany, 66 in Switzerland and 59 in Italy, according to Experteer.

Torsten Muth, managing director of Experteer.co.uk, said: "These figures underline stiff competition executives face in securing top jobs and the importance of swift judgments in deciding whether to apply for a role. The economic downturn means many executives are re-entering the jobs market for the first time in decades and need to reassess their methods of finding new work."

According to the report the average shelf life for an executive position in the media is just 17 days and in the public sector 18 days, compared with 66 days for consulting roles.