Professional recruitment firm Robert Walters, which also operates in Ireland, said third-quarter UK profit rose on growth in trade finance and in some regions outside London, indicating pockets of strength following the country's vote to leave the EU.

The UK-listed company, which places workers in engineering, legal, marketing and banking jobs, said UK gross profit grew 9 per cent to £23.4 million in the quarter ended September 30th. It had reported comparable growth of 4 per cent for the first six months of 2016.

The company has seen a pick-up in activity in financial services towards the end of the quarter, it said in a statement on Monday. This contrasts with a statement from larger rival PageGroup which said last week that confidence among employers in Britain was "fragile" following Brexit, with multinational firms holding off from hiring, particularly in the financial services sector. – Reuters