THE IRISH banking sector may still be shedding jobs, but hundreds of unemployed financial sector workers could find brighter prospects in the UK following a recent pick-up in the British economy, according to recruitment firm Hays Ireland.

London is calling qualified Irish bankers to the City, said Hays Ireland managing director Richard Eardley. The firm is seeking to fill a total of 800 vacancies for a range of positions in the British banking sector, with salaries for the accountancy, auditing, analyst and financial planning roles in the £50,000-£80,000 bracket.

“British banks are already feeling the first winds of recovery and in recent weeks we have seen a very significant increase in the demand for bankers,” he said.

“At the same time the increased focus on compliance means many firms are also beefing up their internal audit function,” he added.

Although the financial sector is often the first to lay off staff during a recession, they are also the first to start hiring again, according to Hays. Meanwhile, there was a surprise fall in UK unemployment last month, new figures show.