REC response to latest jobless figures

As reported on OnRec, 22nd February 2010

Responding to today's ONS unemployment figures which show a fall of 3,000 to 2.46 million, Kevin Green, Chief Executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) says;

"This is good news and supports the feedback we’ve had from members who have reported an increase in recruitment activity over recent months. Improving employer confidence is resulting in a more positive outlook on hiring intentions over the coming year, but the UK jobs market remains fragile. There are real concerns that the squeeze on public expenditure will counteract some of these positive trends, particularly in regions that are heavily dependent on public sector jobs."

Commenting on the TUC argument that the UK jobs market looks "deceptively healthy" because of an increase in temporary and part-time work, Kevin Green concludes:

"There is nothing 'deceptively healthy' about the fact that temporary work provides an important bridge back into employment and helps to develop the skills, experience and confidence to access permanent job opportunities. Flexible working options provide real benefits for job-seekers as well as for employers; they must be recognised not stigmatised. With regards to part-time jobs, it is true that some employers have reduced hours rather than make redundancies. In these cases, employers will increase the hours of existing staff before they recruit new staff which is another reason that the road back to full employment will be long and tortuous."

The REC's latest JobsOutlook survey, also published this week, confirmed the trend of increasing employer confidence with only two per cent of businesses saying they expect to make further cutbacks. This is the lowest number seen since the monthly survey began last year. Overall, 94 per cent of employers expect either to maintain or grow their permanent workforces over the next 12 months with one in four employers planning to increase their temporary workforce in the next year.

The survey also highlights specific attributes which employers are looking for from new recruits as they start to lift recruitment freezes with communication and interpersonal skills topping in the list.