Eight in 10 chief financial officers predict the number of permanent accounting and finance staff employed by their company will either increase (12%) or will stay the same (68%) in the second half of 2010, according to the latest ‘Robert Half CFO Confidence Index’.

The index also reveals that demand for temporary and interim workers remains strong, with 81% of finance directors planning to increase (10%) or continue to use (71%) the same number of interims over the next six months.

However, 22% of finance leaders are more or slightly more confident about the economic prospects facing their company in the next six months, representing a 25-point decline in confidence levels since January.