The start of 2014 brought with it some headline grabbing statistics highlighting the increase in employment throughout the UK. In January the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that UK unemployment had fallen to 7.2% by the end of 2013, a decrease of 125,000 people in the year’s final quarter.
These stats from the ONS have more recently been echoed by figures from within the recruitment sector. One of the more notable recent examples being recruitment trade association APSCo’s report highlighting year-on-year increases in permanent placement of 12.6% and a rise of nearly 10% in temporary placements during February 2014; clear indications of a continued recovery in the professional job market.
InterQuest Group plc, a niche professional staffing organisation, has reported a direct correlation between APSCo’s data and their own outlook on the market. InterQuest, who’s Annual Report for 2013 last week included the news that their net fee income grew by 6.1% in 2013, have also reported that their own staffing requirements have increased at a rate concurrent with the figures reported by APSCo and ONS.
As a combined result of InterQuest’s client demand the Group made 28 new hires around its businesses in the six months between September 2013 and February 2014. InterQuest expanded in size significantly in 2013, with the acquisition of leading digital recruitment organisation ECOM Recruitment; though the continued expansion has taken place across the Group, with considerably increased client demand recorded in their specialist practices focused on areas like analytics, digital, audit, risk, compliance and ERP.
InterQuest's CEO Mark Braund commented:
‘We have been delighted to see some of the positive figures relating to UK employment. APSCo’s latest report doesn’t come as a huge surprise to us, as we have ourselves experienced similar growth and increase in demand that their figures suggest; the net impact is that customers are recognizing the value that specialist recruiters can bring in the search for the best talent. As a result we project that we will continue to expand our specialist teams in response to demand, meaning increased opportunities for those seeking roles within specialist areas of the recruitment sector.’
