Employer confidence is continuing to creep upwards reaching its highest level this year.
The latest survey carried out by The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) shows that 96 per cent of employers said they expect their permanent workforce to remain static or grow in the next few months. It reflects an increase of two per cent on the previous month, with 86 per cent of employers also expecting to grow or maintain their use of agency workers.
The news may have been tempered by the latest unemployment figures which show a further increase in the numbers out of work but Roger Tweedy, the REC's Director of Research, said the results give reason to be optimistic.
“Following a slight dip in employer confidence last month businesses are forging ahead with plans to stabilise or expand their workforces,” he said.
“This fits with the feedback from professional recruiters on the ground, who are reporting increased hiring activity in most sectors.”
One such recruiter is Collingwood Search & Selection, a specialist headhunter experiencing its busiest year to date. The company has seen a surge in the number of firms recruiting to their operations, both at home and abroad.
“At the end of last year we began to see a considerable rise in the number of International recruitment assignments but we are also experiencing an increase in clients looking to strengthen their teams here in the UK too which is an encouraging sign,” said Doug.
The REC agrees and claims that with permanent job placements growing at the fastest rate for over 12 years, the UK jobs market is beginning to show strength. However, it recognises that the widely predicted public sector recession has yet to bite and that could halt the upward trend.
Coupled with the latest jobless figures which reveal a rise in unemployment of 53,000 to 2.51 million, experts caution that the confidence, while real, could still be fragile and warn the new government of tough challenges ahead.
The big task for the government is trying to stimulate growth while also cutting the deficit, said John Philpott of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
There's nothing to suggest we're going to get a return to anything approaching full employment anytime soon.
And while that may well be the case, headhunters at Collingwood are hopeful of better times to come.
“The economy is still far from normal but in a number of sectors including telecoms and waste management, companies are readying themselves for future growth,” said Doug
“We’re recruiting to senior roles across a number of industries and that has to have a knock on effect elsewhere.”
To find out how Collingwood can help please call one of our consultants on 01829 732374 or to find out more about Collingwood visit our website www.collingwoodsearch.co.uk
