More than half of UK businesses, 52%, plan to hire in the next six months, according to research by recruitment firm Morgan McKinley.

This is despite 86% of organisations saying they have found hiring to be “very” competitive this year, and 46% reporting they have lost out on new talent because they can’t compete on salary and benefits.

Morgan McKinley’s research also found that 51% of professionals in the UK plan to actively look for new jobs in the next six months. However, 59% reported being “neutral,” “dissatisfied” or “highly dissatisfied” with their pay packages.

Higher salary remained the top reason for professionals seeking to move jobs, cited by 42% of respondents.

The research also found that 48% of professionals currently employed in permanent roles would consider switching to contracting, with the main reasons being “better rates of pay,” “greater opportunities to develop skills” and “more flexibility.”

“No matter the macro climate, it remains true always that the right talent — that can drive progress and improvement — will remain in demand and companies will pay well to secure them,” David Leithead, chief operations officer of Morgan McKinley, said in a press release. “With the shortage of skilled professionals available, take steps to keep your people engaged, supported and happy; offering benefits that are meaningful to the individual’s specific situation will help here. Benefits around well-being and flexibility remain top of the pile.”

The research is based on information from 650 businesses and 3,400 professionals.