BEIJING -- With the opening of its banking sector, China now is seeking a great number of talents to feed the gap between the sector's expanding business and insufficient human resources, said a report on employment and human resources.

Overall, 77 percent of employer respondents on the Chinese mainland's banking industry said they would hire more staff in the second quarter, up from 64 percent in the previous quarter, according to the Hudson Report released on Thursday.

The Hudson Report is a quarterly survey of forward-looking employer hiring expectations. The expectation to increase or decrease staffing levels is a key indicator of employers' optimism about their market.

China permitted foreign banks to operate renminbi business from April this year, creating strong demand for experienced candidates, said the report.

The report pointed out that China continues to lead Asian economies in hiring expectations and attributed this to the country's rapid economic growth.

This survey of 600 executives in key business sectors, such as banking, consumer and manufacturing, shows that 59 percent plan to increase headcount in the first quarter of 2007, up from 56 percent in the previous quarter.

The report in Asia also covers Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.