Some recruitment shares were caught up in the general market slide, which was partly caused by worries of recession and increased regulation in China. This helped to mask the effect of a healthy batch of results for recruiters such as Michael Page.

Shares in hospitality recruiter Berkeley Scott have more than tripled since John Bowmer and Tony Reeves announced they were taking a 62.6% stake for £2.5m. Empresaria and Networkers International both gained, amid optimistic trading updates. Shares in IT recruiter Lorien rose, despite a takeover bid for the company failing (see www.recruiter.co.uk for more on updates as they are announced).