Leading Essex firms anticipate a substantial increase in the number of jobs available in the county over the next 12 months.

A survey of the top 1,000 Essex companies by accountancy firm Grant Thornton reveals that firms anticipate creating thousands of new jobs.

James Brown, practice leader for Grant Thornton in Essex, said: “It is very encouraging that we’re starting to see sustainable growth being experienced by businesses.

“Our findings in our recent Essex Ltd report indicate that this growth is now leading to increased demand for staff in Essex, so we are starting to see more jobs created and an increase in salary levels locally.

“While growth is currently led by the domestic market, Essex will be excellently placed to benefit further as export growth comes through.”