The Army is nearing full strength for the first time in a generation as the recession is prompting thousands of young people to sign up.

Recruitment rose by 14 per cent in the six months to March 31 compared with a year earlier. It is expected to reach full strength in 2011 after years in which it struggled to win recruits.

There are also fewer people leaving. The number who quit the Armed Forces in 2008 dropped by 8.3 per cent year on year as fear of competing in a shrinking civilian jobs market persuaded more to stay on.

The figures come despite a rising death toll in Afghanistan where four more British Service personnel, including one Gurkha, were killed on Thursday, the deadliest day in almost a year.

Recruitment officers said that, far from deterring the young, the chance of deployment to the front line was an incentive for those keen for a slice of the action. They also noted that many army jobs, such as plumbers and barbers, had nothing to do with combat.

Hitting the full strength target of 101,790 soldiers will help to ease pressure on troops in the field, many of whom have endured multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. There is currently a deficit of about 2,550.

An overhaul of recruiting techniques, including internet and television campaigns, and a softening of public opinion towards the Armed Forces after the unpopular war in Iraq are also helping to boost numbers.

Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Meldon, who heads recruitment in London, said: “All of a sudden in January all of these people started to come into the offices. We noticed about a 20-25 per cent increase over the same week the previous year. That was probably down to people not having the opportunities out there in the economy.”

David Hollas, commander of recruitment in the East of England, said: “It made us very busy over Christmas." Unfortunately, many who showed an interest were unsuitable: either too lazy, too unfit or with a bad attitude, he said. The commander expects another spike in recruits this summer as students finish GCSEs, A levels or vocational qualifications.

Major-General Gerald Berragan, head of recruitment, played down the idea that the recession was forcing people to become soldiers as a last resort, pointing out that the military was not a short-term commitment. But he said the slump was making the Army a more attractive option. “We should be able to attract better people and that is what we need,” he added.

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