London_2012_Olympic_Stadium_with_crowds_cheeringMAY 17 - MORE than half the businesses in Britain can see the potential benefits of London hosting the 2012 Olympics, a new survey has revealed.

Figures by recruitment company Adecco showed of the work placed so far by the Olympics Delivery Authority (ODA), 98 per cent has gone to UK companies and half to companies based outside London.

Of more than 1,000 employees who responded to the survey, 15 per cent said their business is involved in working with the Olympics in some capacity, with another 15 per cent saying they would be involved ‘at some point’.

Almost 10 per cent of businesses said they are involved in the corporate sponsorship of the Games, making it the most commonly undertaken activity.

Half the firms in the survey said the games will be of "some benefit" to their business, with almost a quarter adding that the Olympics will bring "potential marketing opportunities".

Rene Schuster, chief executive of Adecco Group UK and Ireland, said: “The 2012 Olympics will be an exciting time for the UK and the lead-up to the event will create a number of diverse job opportunities for a range of different workers.

“The Olympics will hopefully encourage resurgence in trades where the skills deficit has been quite large in the UK and encourage more apprenticeships and vocational training schemes.

“Additional revenue opportunities for businesses should also be created as a result of the 2012 Games."