Last month the Office for National Statistics revealed the number of people in work reached its highest level since 1971

The British employment boom is to continue as businesses shrug off Brexit uncertainty and become increasingly confident, according to a report.

The quarterly survey of more than 2,000 employers by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found a higher proportion of businesses surveyed said that they planned to increase staff levels compared with three months ago.

The net employment balance, which shows the difference between the proportion of employers who expect to increase staff levels and those who expect to decrease staff levels, rose from a positive 20 in the last report to 22. Confidence was highest in business services, construction, healthcare and information technology.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics last month showed the number of people in work reached 32.71