Good times ahead for employers and workers

Things can only get better. Thatís the clear signal from employers who participated in the latest Elizabeth Hunt Recruitment salary survey. The majority (65 per cent) said that they were planning to increase the overall workforce whilst almost half (43 per cent) are also planning above inflation salary increases for employees.

Andrea Triplow, operations manager at Elizabeth Hunt said: ìThis research comes at a time when UK salaries have risen for 13 consecutive months and according to our survey that trend is set to continue.î The survey also revealed that almost 80 per cent of companies use temporary staff. In the majority of companies temporary staff accounted for up to ten per cent of the workforce.

Most companies (65 per cent) listed flexibility in being able to increase and decrease the workforce as the main reason for using temporary staff. However over half (56 per cent) said that it also gave them access to skills and expertise as needed. Interestingly, temporary staff are most often used on special projects although they are also used to cover holidays and maternity leave.

Added Triplow: ìElizabeth Hunt has seen increasing demand for both temporary and permanent staff throughout 2004 and it seems that companies are anticipating that the demand for staff will continue, with over 40 per cent of companies surveyed planning to spend more on recruitment in 2005.î