The Report on Jobs is a monthly publication produced by Markit and sponsored by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and KPMG LLP.
The report features original survey data which provide the most up-to-date monthly picture of recruitment, employment, staff availability and employee earnings trends available.
Key points from August 2012 survey:
- Decline in permanent staff appointments eases
- Temporary staff billings increase for first time in nine months
- Job vacancies continue to rise
- Nursing/Medical/Care workers are most sought-after
- Rising candidate availability subdues pay pressures
Commenting on the latest survey results, Bernard Brown, Partner and Head of Business Services at KPMG, said:
“With question marks still hanging over the long-term state of the economy, it would be easy to suggest that an upward curve in the jobs market is nothing more than a blip. But the truth is that, in some parts of the country, we are actually seeing a growth in the number of companies recruiting and where there is a decline it is now virtually insignificant. It may be slow, but perhaps we are witnessing the first signs of recovery? Temporary placements are also on the up, so the hope must be that employer confidence is returning, that they are looking to the long-term and recruiting for growth.”
The Report on Jobs is unique in providing the most comprehensive guide to the UK labour market, drawing on original survey data provided by recruitment consultancies and employers to provide the first indication each month of labour market trends.
The main findings for August are:
Decline in permanent placements eases
Although permanent staff placements continued to fall in August, the latest drop was only modest and the weakest in the current three-month period of decline.
Modest increase in temp billings
Recruitment agencies reported a rise in billings received from the employment of temporary/contract staff for the first time in nine months during August, albeit only slight.
Staff availability rises at slower pace
The availability of candidates to fill permanent and temporary positions continued to increase during August. However, in both cases the rates of growth eased.
Salaries show little change
Recruitment consultants indicated broadly flat pay trends in August. Permanent staff salaries rose only fractionally, while temp hourly pay registered a negligible decrease.