Employers are looking for skilled workers to smooth the transition out of the European Union, pushing the number of professional jobs available in the UK up 7pc in the last three months.

According to recruitment firm Robert Walters, job volume growth was strongest in supply chain accounting and procurement roles, where the number of jobs available compared to last year was 15pc and 13pc higher respectively.

This was driven by the need to work out new ways of trading with overseas firms in light of changes to Britain’s trade agreements, the firm said.

Chris Hickey, chief executive of Robert Walters’ UK, Middle East and Africa division, said: “Supply chain and procurement professionals have been highly sought after as employers explore how they can access new markets and establish efficient supply chain processes following Britain’s departure from the EU.”

He added that hiring activity had remained “healthy” across all professional sectors this year, as employers maintained a “cautiously optimistic attitude”.

Finance, tax and legal jobs were also up during the last three months compared with the same period last year, with Robert Walters attributing the rise to increased regulation driving the need for more specialist workers.

Tax scandals such as the Panama Papers have also heightened firms’ need to expand their teams, with employers more aware than ever of the financial and reputational risks of failing to comply, the recruitment firm said.