London: Job vacancies at London’s financial- services companies climbed 67 percent last month as firms sought employees to manage increasing compliance demands from regulators, according to a recruitment survey.

Staff vacancies in London’s main financial district, known as the City, and elsewhere in the British capital increased to 8,955 last month from 5,355 in April 2013, recruitment firm Morgan McKinley said in a statement today.

Average salaries for new hires rose 21 percent in April from 20 percent a month ago.

“Organizations are seeking risk and compliance specialists, with an increase in funds compliance advisory roles and distribution-compliance roles within the last month,” Hakan Enver, operations director at Morgan McKinley Financial Services, said in the statement.

Securities firms in the City have been expanding their compliance departments following probes by U.K. and other global regulators into the manipulation of benchmark interest rates, the alleged rigging in currency markets and money laundering. Enver said hiring “has been at the senior end of the spectrum due to increased regulation being implemented by the Financial Conduct Authority.”

The survey comes after Barclays Plc, U.K.’s second-largest lender, last week increased planned job losses this year to 14,000 from 12,000 as it overhauls its investment bank.

BLOOMBERG