Jobs on Wall Street, which peaked four years ago at more than 850,000 but lost almost 50,000 in the wake of the financial crisis, are rising again for the first time in three years. Recruitment picked up in the final three months of last year.

As employment in New York remained virtually flat last year, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association said its members added more than 12,000 jobs, although this was not enough to lift the 805,300 total figure off its lowest level since 2005.