Demand for HR professionals is growing, particularly in the financial services sector where demand has been at its highest this year.

According to research from financial services recruitment firm Joslin Rowe, there has been a 4% increase in the financial services job volumes and a 63% surge in the number of temporary and contract HR roles in the sector over the past six months.

This appears to be a short-term remedy to ease the pressure on under-resourced HR departments and the highest demand has been for analytical, compensation and benefits professionals to meet year-end requirements.

Tara Ricks, managing director of Joslin Rowe, said: "While the job flow does lie heavily within temporary and contract recruitment, this increase is extremely positive in a market that has been relatively stagnant for the majority of 2009. While talk of a market turn appears more commonplace, employers are awaiting clearer signs that we are beginning to leave the recession, so they can plan for growth in 2010."

But earnings for HR staff in this sector have dropped by 14% over the past six months compared with a 1.2% drop for temporary staff.