A new monthly labour market survey has revealed that demand for permanent staff in the engineering sector is still on the strong side.

Despite the possibility of a national economic downturn, employers in this sector are still recruiting skilled engineers in the textile, chemical, automotive, construction and aviation sectors, according to the study by NTC Economics and KPMG.

Engineering scored a total of 59.8 in April's survey. A rating that is above 50 demonstrates a higher demand than in the previous month, reports Contract Journal.

KPMG director Alan Nolan said: "In the medical, engineering and construction sector, demand for permanent staff is still strong because of the ongoing skills shortages in these areas."

Over 60,000 people work in the northwest's aviation sector, which contributes £7 billion to the regional economy. The northwest is also the second-largest car and vehicle component manufacturing centre in the UK.

Moreover, the region is the UK's largest regional centre for chemical manufacturing and is a leading light in the advanced flexible materials industry.