That was the reassuring news in a new survey commissioned by Kirklees Council.

The survey, which took place at the end of last year, was designed to increase local understanding of business needs.

The survey asked a wide range of questions ranging from the effects of the recession to workforce and skills needs. The findings will be used as the basis for providing support to the business community.

The survey showed that nearly one in four employers (24%) anticipate a growth in their workforce over the coming 12 months, compared with 21% in 2008.

Only 5% of companies expect to have to reduce their workforce.

The positive forecast supports evidence from the wider economy that companies are doing all they can to minimise job losses during the downturn.

Companies are also being more flexible during the recession with 70% of employers having at least one form of working arrangement in place, allowing employees to work flexible hours, shift patterns or combine work with family life more easily.

This proportion is significantly higher than in 2008, when the figure was 55%. Despite evidence from other sources that there had been an increase in part time working during the recession, the survey shows that 70% of jobs are full time, which is the same proportion as in 2008.

Another encouraging sign is that fewer Kirklees companies believe that they have skills gaps in their workforce, with only 10% compared with the national average of 15%.

There is still a concern by employers that the basic skills of their workforce need developing.

More than one in five employers believe that numeracy and literacy skills need to improve, but this is less than in 2008 when a third of employers were concerned about basic skills.

Clr Peter McBride, Cabinet member for regeneration, said: “The employer survey provides us with vital information about our local businesses and we will be using this information to look at how we can better support firms and how we can continue to engage with them.”

More than 1,400 companies in Kirklees took part in the survey by BMG Research, just over 10% of the business community. This was followed up by in-depth interviews with 30 companies to discuss issues in more detail.