According to a measure by the UK's largest job website, January saw a steep rise in new vacancies, centred around the private sector - reaching highest levels since the Reed Index was started in 2009.

The findings also highlighted that although vacancies are rising in the private sector, public sector vacancies are almost half what they were a year ago and across the board, salaries remain flat.

The BBC website covers the story in more detail here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12311019

Andy Swann, Operations Director at Swann Recruitment commented:

'Given our own experiences, this looks like a fair reflection of the UK job market as things stand in January 2011. This measure works well anecdotally, but it's worth remembering that this measure is based on advertised vacancies, not confirmed hires - which can create a skewed picture.

For example - if public sector budgets have been cut, they may be advertising more in local press or by word of mouth , rather than via job boards or more expensive visible outlets.'

What are your views on the current job maket - do you feel there are more vacancies to choose from?