The number of available jobs has risen in the past year, one expert has claimed, giving hope to contractors and other professionals.

Job satisfaction has also risen among UK professionals, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

A spokesperson for Jobsite commented on this news, saying that the recession had caused some positive changes in the workplace.

She said the adverse economic conditions had prompted companies to engage with staff as well as to run non-financial benefit schemes.

Another cause for job satisfaction, said the spokesperson, is that many people are simply grateful to be employed when so many others are not.

"Whilst there is concern about the level of redundancies the public sector are going to make, there are more vacancies overall available now than 12 months previously, so it's certainly not as bleak a picture as it could be," she said.

This follows news that contractor jobs could increase if new plans to overhaul the government's website go ahead.