InterQuest Group, the IT recruiter, posted a 16% rise in pre-tax profit to £1.1m for the six months ended 30 June 2010.

The company’s revenue also rose, by 12% to £55.3m in the six-month period. Its net fee income increased by 14% to £7m.

The group reported a return to growth in most markets, including the private sector, particularly banking and finance, which it says has offset decrease in public sector activity.

Gary Ashworth, chairman of InterQuest, says: “The group has had a successful first-half of 2010 trading in line with management’s expectations.

“The number of contractors working at our client sites reached an all time high at the end of June which has been surpassed since. We have achieved our first client wins in our RPO [recruitment process outsourcing] business, started to hire new fee earners, developed and launched our new in-house training programme iQad and moved our incubator IQ Equity businesses nearer to profitability.”

InterQuest revealed that it has increased its headcount by 15% to 137 as of 30 June.