placeholder
Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Tight labour market underlines important of putting employer needs first in new immigration system

Gerwyn Davies, senior labour market adviser for the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, comments on the latest ONS labour market statistics:

“Employment has reached a record high but employment growth has significantly slowed following a period of sharp growth. Despite the recent slowdown, the jobs market remains tight.  It’s imperative that the Government’s post-Brexit immigration policy does not impose unreasonable restrictions on employers given the prevalence of skill shortages. In particular, it’s essential that the introduction of an Australian-style points-based system prioritises employers’ skills and labour needs.

Davies continues: “Growth has slowed to a trickle in many sectors apart from health and public administration, which continues to see relatively strong growth.  In contrast, employment levels are continuing to fall in some consumer-facing sectors such as construction and retail.  The encouraging news is that these sectors look set to benefit most from the continued rise in real wages and more political certainty.”