Energy firms are planning to take on thousands of extra staff to deal with complaints or calls about switching supplier because of rising bills, a new report has revealed.
Employment firm Manpower said the utilities sector generally was showing strong signs of recruitment.
Managing director Mark Cahill said: “We’ve seen plenty of criticism for the energy companies for hiking gas and electricity bills. However, we’ve noticed the big energy companies are now looking to take on thousands of extra staff to deal with a rising demand in calls.
“Customers are ringing up the gas and electricity firms in greater numbers, perhaps to question their bill or even to switch provider. The effect of this greater volume of calls is that the utility companies now need to hire to meet this demand.”
Manpower said the employment outlook for the new year was “steady”, although it predicted continued pressures on pay, underemployment and a lack of skills.
A survey of 2,100 employers found that slightly more planned to take on new staff rather than make workers redundant.
Manpower said the findings showed there would not be a recruitment “boom”, with many employers taking a “safety first” approach.
The study showed that hiring intentions in London have slumped below the national average, while every region in the UK recorded a positive outlook for jobs.
“Going into 2014, the UK jobs market has the characteristics of a swan,” said Mr Cahill.
“It is making steady, serene progress on the surface but a very different picture emerges beneath the water where it is paddling away furiously.
“Continued pressure on pay, underemployment and a lack of the necessary skills among candidates means it’s still an employer’s market and employees are yet to feel the effects of the economic recovery in their pockets.
“These issues don’t look like they will ease up much in the near future.”
A separate report by insurance firm Zurich found that more than a third of smaller British companies had grown their business in recent months.
A survey of more than 600 small to medium sized companies showed more than half were confident the economy will improve over the next year, but concerns were raised about the availability of skilled workers and employee morale and stress.