Recruitment rise

A recession-fuelled crime wave and a rise in appeals to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) are driving the recruitment market, according to recruitment specialist Badenoch & Clark’s latest report.

Demand is up for general litigation and prosecution lawyers within the public sector due to an increase in crime levels as a result of the recession and Christmas period. Both non-qualified and qualified freedom of information and data protection locums are also sitting pretty, since the number of ICO appeals has risen by 250% since 2008.

The annual increase in permanent vacancies for in-house legal teams, as hiring managers try to ensure full budget spend as they near the end of the financial year, is yet to happen, although they are continuing to employ temporary staff.

However, it’s a tough market for legal aid family lawyers.

Duncan Ward, legal operations director at Badenoch & Clark, says: “Fixed fees and means testing are making it more difficult for legal aid family practices to generate revenue. This is preventing many firms from maintaining their usual staffing levels so they’re increasingly not replacing staff who depart.”