Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Recruitment & retentionPay settlementsTemporary employment

Candidate shortages to continue, REC survey finds

by Jo Faragher 9 Jan 2015
by Jo Faragher 9 Jan 2015 Demand for A&E staff influenced the jobs market in December. REX/Jeff Blackler
Demand for A&E staff influenced the jobs market in December. REX/Jeff Blackler

The Christmas season and demand for A&E staff influenced the jobs market in December last year, according to the latest monthly figures from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG.

The latest Report on Jobs reveals that there was strong growth in placements for both permanent and temporary roles in December – with temporary billings growing at the fastest rate in three months.

At the same time, however, skills shortages in many sectors hampered employers from filling all of their desired roles.

Permanent positions picked up again after an 18-month low in November, although the rate of expansion was at its slowest since July 2013.

Reflecting a return to organisations booking Christmas parties after many took a break for economic reasons, hotel and catering skills were in high demand, the REC said.

The sector where temporary work was most available was in nursing and medical care, reflecting an increase in winter ailments in hospitals and health services.

However, availability of candidates was an issue for many employers, with those looking for short-term roles in December in short supply. Around one-third of employers said availability was worse in December than in the preceding month.

Permanent staff availability also declined during December, continuing a trend that has been in place since May 2013, the REC said.

Demand for staff in both permanent and temporary positions was highest in the private sector.

The potential for protracted negotiations around a hung parliament come May could affect business confidence and hence future hiring” – Kevin Green, REC

The REC’s Job Vacancy Indicator, which monitors overall demand for staff through agencies, remained strong at 67.1 (a figure of 50 means no change on the previous month), compared with 54.5 for permanent roles in the public sector.

Within the private sector, demand for accounting and financial staff was higher than in any other sector. The slowest rise in demand was among construction workers.

Average starting salaries awarded for permanent roles continued to rise, with the rate of growth similar to that recorded in November 2014. Reflecting growth in demand and tight availability, pay for temporary staff increased at the sharpest rate in three months.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Kevin Green, chief executive of the REC, said this level of growth should be “sustainable”, but added that the upcoming general election could influence employers’ intentions.

He said: “The prospect of increased government intervention in the labour market as promised by the Left, questions around Britain’s position in the EU which are being posed by the Right, and the potential for protracted negotiations around a hung parliament come May could affect business confidence and hence future hiring.”

Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

previous post
Guidance on Fit for Work sickness absence service published
next post
Stress-related injury: is it harder for employees to win a claim?

You may also like

RAD Awards 2026 open for entries

16 Jul 2025

Inflation increases by more than expected

16 Jul 2025

Number of police working second jobs doubles

15 Jul 2025

Employees voting with feet as return-to-office pressure increases...

15 Jul 2025

Businesses warned against reducing recruitment in favour of...

15 Jul 2025

Food sector warned it is facing a workforce...

14 Jul 2025

Steep reduction in recruitment in June

14 Jul 2025

Engineers prioritising benefits over pay

14 Jul 2025

It’s no secret – parity in the workplace...

10 Jul 2025

Teacher recruitment goals ‘lack coherent plan’

9 Jul 2025

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+