The global labour market is at a turning point, with employers in nearly half of countries expecting net increases in their workforces over the next three months, according to a survey by Manpower, the recruitment company.

Asian employers – except those in Japan – report an optimistic outlook for hiring and there are signs of recovery, albeit sluggish, in Europe. But US employers remain reluctant to start taking on staff again.

In the UK, Manpower said employers were reporting improved hiring plans for the first time in three years, giving jobseekers a glimmer of hope in spite of rising unemployment. Finance and business sector employers in Britain were sending “positive signals” for the first time since the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the US bank, a year ago.