After a rocky and unpredictable few years we are very pleased to hear the news from a recent REC survey that many employers hope to increase permanent hiring in the short term and that most businesses now feel better placed for growth than they have done for a while.
At Prospectus, we have definitely seen an increase in the amount of jobs that we’ve been asked to recruit for in recent months and with the recent news from REC, we now feel confident that this will continue to rise in the coming months. There is light at the end of the tunnel for jobseekers.
Another great piece of news, according to the REC survey, is that employers still view agencies as playing an important part in the recruitment process and continue to value their skills. 94% of employers were either fairly satisfied or very satisfied with the agencies they used in the last 2 years.
The main points from the REC report were:
- The REC Jobs Barometer rose +3 points to reach a two year high.
- The main rise was in the permanent sector.
- Consumer optimism is stable, but business confidence has dipped slightly.
- Price and quality of service both ranked over 90% when employers were asked about the criteria used for selecting agencies.
The main growth areas for agency and permanent staffing may be seen in Education, Engineering, Hospitality, Medical and Technology.
This is all very positive news and we look forward to continuing to see growth and expansion in our market.