Professional groups set to soar by halTHE professional and financial services communities in Manchester and Birmingham are expected to grow by almost 50 per cent by 2010, a new report claims.

But it reveals that the greatest challenge facing both centres is the recruitment and retention of quality staff.

A project commissioned by Birmingham Forward and promanchester surveyed 1,800 professionals in the two cities to determine the sector's size, performance and skills.

Professions ranging from accountancy, architecture and banking to insurance, law, property and stockbroking currently employ more than 90,000 people in Birmingham and 64,000 in Manchester.

Mr John Barnacle, the promanchester chief executive, said: "We are confident that the future holds tremendous opportunities for the professions"

"A new graduate retention initiative with the universities and the employers' organisations, and the setting up of a virtual local equity market, are just some of the projects underway in the North-west."

More information about the report is available from Mr Barnacle on 0161-228-3698.