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Small to mid-sized companies are poised to snap up staff as Thomas Cook Group announces up to 2,800 job losses.

Recruitment specialists say business travel, homeworking, cruise and online companies are targeting employees from the six sites earmarked for closure, including MyTravel’s Rochdale and Helmshore offices.

Larger companies such as Travel Counsellors are targeting big four staff for head office positions in IT and human resources as well as travel agents. Chairman David Speakman said: "We’ve had a couple of applications from Rochdale."

Harp Wallen Executive Recruitment managing director Kristina Wallen said some companies would use the new pool of staff to expand their businesses in new areas. "There are lots of emerging SMEs poised to use this opportunity to recruit talented individuals," she said.

"In the next six to 12 months we are going to witness the greatest sea change in the travel workforce since the collapse of International Leisure Group."

Argyle Recruitment director Martine Sullivan predicted a "salary war". She said: "People won’t be able to demand such high salaries because more are going for the same jobs."

Sullivan added retail staff were most likely to be swallowed up by online and homeworking call centres, rather than independent agencies. "Companies are more nervous of flooding their desks because you never know what is around the corner," she said.

But a lack of travel companies in the northwest means staff may have to relocate to find work.

On Holiday Group chief executive Steve Endacott, whose business is recruiting staff after expanding its offices near Helmshore, said: "This will mean a bonanza for online players looking for staff. We set up a northern office because we knew there was a pool of experienced staff in the area – that’s proved a good decision."

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