Hundreds of jobs are up for grabs across Sussex.

Supermarkets and an insurance firm are bucking the recession and creating a jobs boom.

Asda is creating at least 500 jobs at its new store in Ferring, near Worthing, which is due to open in November.

Sainsbury’s also has 400 vacancies for its store in Bognor which opens early next year.

Insurance firm Hastings Direct has also announced plans to create 200 new jobs over the next 12 months.

Business leaders welcomed the jobs boost but urged caution during the continuing difficult economic conditions.

Martyn Gallon, general store manager at Asda Ferring, said: “We’re really proud to be opening our new store in such a welcoming and vibrant community.

“We’re extremely pleased to be creating hundreds of jobs and look forward to supporting the community. We are still welcoming applications for a number of roles.”

Bexhill-based insurance broker Hastings Direct said it was looking for full and part-time staff in the Brighton and Hove, Bexhill, Hastings and Eastbourne areas to start immediately.

The insurer will start recruiting customer facing roles this week and said it was keen to consider mothers, fathers and students wanting to work part time or on a job share.

Amanda Menahem, HR Director, said: “We are introducing our first fast-track graduate intake this September and urgently need to recruit even more talent to achieve our ambitious goals.

“The new roles will be across the business and whilst they are full-time equivalents we are also very interested in recruiting anyone interested in part-time work or job sharing.”

Sainsbury’s new £50 million supermarket on the old LEC site in Shripney Road, Bognor, will employ 400 staff.

Vacancies are still available at the store which opens in 2013.

Tony Mernagh, chief executive of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said: “It’s great that these jobs are being created and I welcome every single one of them but it would be foolhardy to read too much into a thousand promised jobs in a sea of unemployment.

“The UK economy is treading a knife edge and it’s far too early to tell which way it will fall.”