JOB Prospects in the North-East are set for a sharp downturn in the fourth quarter of the year, according to the latest survey of employment prospects, from Manpower.

According to the survey just one in five employers within the region plan to take on staff, and 11 per cent anticipate a reduction.

The forecast is almost 40 per cent down on the same period of last year.

It places the North-East at the very foot of the table in the quarterly survey of employment prospects.

Jill Lowes, business manager at Manpower, said: "The Quarter four survey points to a significant downturn for job prospects in the region."

She added: "Although the region has shown improved forecasts for the past year as a whole, it has been overtaken and left behind by Wales and Scotland which have pulled away from the bottom positions."

The outlook for jobs in Yorkshire and Humberside remains steady for the coming quarter.

More than a quarter of employers (26 per cent) within the region are planning to take on more staff, while only ten per cent anticipate cutting jobs.

Nationally, prospects are brighter for job creation.

Across the UK, more than 32 per cent of employers are planning to recruit staff.

Manpower Plc is part of one of the world's largest employment services companies. It has 3,200 offices in 52 countries around the world.