30 JAN: Recruitment company TMS Asia-Pacific is urging employers to start looking at 2012 manpower needs, with "early indicators" pointing to an ongoing recovery in Australia’s tourism and hospitality sector. "We finished off the year with a very uncharacteristic and very marked increase in permanent job orders", says gm Sally Matheson.

"This surge has continued into the new year".

She notes that companies are monitoring the European financial crisis and the effect it could have on Australia.

But "based on business coming through the door", TMS is anticipating a "very positive" year.

She says there are currently job vacancies "across the board", though it’s interesting to note the number of clients who are continuing to "put out feelers" for business development managers.

"That in itself is a very positive sign that businesses out there are looking to grow in 2012," she says.

The positive stance of TMS comes as financial services provider Deloitte says global economic uncertainty is discouraging Australian companies from creating new jobs.

More than one third of chief financial officers (CFOs) say the global economic outlook is their major concern for the 2012 calendar year, the Deloitte survey shows, according to reports this morning.