"As we saw during the GFC, when the economy is performing poorly, law firms can be ruthless in culling employee numbers as a cost cutting strategy rather than adopting employee retention strategies such as flexible working hours and pay rise freezes," Olivier said. "By the same token, as the economy improves, they quickly respond with an increase in employment to meet increased demand."

According to Olivier, the profession is now scrambling to hire experienced professionals to fill the gap they created in middle management during the recession.

The August Advantage Job Index indicates that employers are over Canberra's political paralysis and are very much focused on getting back to business.

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"But nor are they taking any chances," Olivier added. "Yes they are hiring but they're hedging their bets on the final outcome of the election, favouring temporary (5.2 per cent) over full time (2.2 per cent) appointments. No doubt they will firm up their recruitment strategies when there is a definite outcome in Canberra."