Recruitment for permanent roles grew at the fastest pace in 5 months in July 2014, according to a report by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.
The survey, based on data collected from employers and recruitment consultancies, found that the number of people recruited into temporary jobs reached a 7 month high.
In July 2014:
- available vacancies grew at the fastest rate since January 2014
- the number of available permanent candidates fell at the sharpest rate in the survey’s history
- temporary staff availability fell at the quickest pace since March 1998.
Elsewhere, a survey by the CIPD revealed signs of optimism in employers’ recruitment intentions:
- 75% of public sector employers plan to recruit in Q3 2014 – a 5 year high
- the healthcare (77%) and education (74%) sectors have the highest numbers of employers expecting to recruit
- 68% of employers in the voluntary sector plan to recruit.
Mark Beatson, chief economist at the CIPD, said:
“The UK jobs machine powers on. Recruitment intentions are high, SMEs provide much of the fuel and we are seeing this all over the UK, with employers in the Midlands and the North having the highest short-term employment optimism.”