Publishing findings from the survey, which was carried out in September, REC's latest JobsOutlook reported that 58% of employers would be hiring staff, up 7% on August.
However, employers also continue to value agency workers, with nine in 10 planning to either maintain or increase their use of temps over the next year.
The top three reasons given by employers for using agency staff were to manage peaks in demand, to cover leave, or for short-term provision of a particular skill.
REC CEO Kevin Green said: "Our data show that the growth in consumer and business confidence we have seen over the past few months has given employers the green light to press ahead with plans to take on more staff in permanent roles.
"It's also clear that, as business picks up, employers continue to appreciate the value of agency workers. They are a vital part of the UK's labour market, allowing employers to flex their workforce in response to fluctuating demand."
The JobsOutlook report analyses the responses of 600 employers questioned about their hiring intentions over the next quarter and the next 12 months.
Respondents are drawn from across the public, private and non-profit sectors, and from a range of industries and sizes of organisation.
