Feb. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Almost half of the workers in London's financial services industry are planning to change jobs even after getting the yearly bonus they wanted, according to a survey by recruitment firm Morgan McKinley.

Of the 149 people who participated in the survey on the firm's Web site, 46 percent said they were considering moving jobs after receiving their bonus, Morgan McKinley said today. About two-thirds said the bonus met their expectations.

``Many banks have managed bonus expectations well,'' Morgan McKinley Chief Executive Officer Robert Thesiger said in an e- mailed statement. ``Employees will still move in order to take advantage of the abundance of roles and career opportunities that are currently available.''

U.K. unemployment claims declined the most in more than 2 1/2 years in January as the fastest economic growth since 2004 spurred companies to step up hiring. That may prompt workers to demand bigger pay increases and push up inflation. The average city salary has risen 5 percent in the past year to 50,724 pounds ($99,200), the recruiter said.

Bonuses for the 1 million people working in Britain's financial services industry surged as the value of European mergers jumped 43 percent last year to about $2 trillion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Securities firms including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Merrill Lynch & Co. reported record 2006 earnings.

The number of candidates looking for jobs in January rose for the first time since October, Morgan McKinley also said. In total, 16 percent more people are looking for new jobs compared with the same period last year.

To contact the reporter on this story: Edward Evans in London at at eevans3@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: February 23, 2007 10:35 EST