GLOBAL recruitment firm Hays has seen a “modest” growth in private sector demand in the UK, although this was matched by a fall in public sector.

The firm, which has two Liverpool offices in Tithebarn Street and Dale Street, employs nearly 7,000 staff in 28 countries.

In the three months to December 31, Hays said it had seen “quarter on quarter stability in net fees” in the UK.

Alistair Cox, chief executive of Hays, said: “Although specialist recruitment markets continue to be very challenging, candidate and client sentiment have improved over recent months and this is encouraging for future trends in the business.

“We are currently seeing stability in demand in all our major markets. In Asia Pacific, we have seen a return to sequential growth in demand, albeit at a modest rate.

“We have now successfully implemented our new IT database system in the UK and in a number of the International businesses. This provides us with an industry leading technology platform and, together with a strong global brand and experienced management team, will enable us to continue to win new accounts and take market share.”