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+

Business performanceJob creation and losses

Double-dip recesssion unlikely, say experts, but job losses will continue

by Helen Gilbert 11 Feb 2010
by Helen Gilbert 11 Feb 2010

Fears that Britain may succumb to a ‘double-dip’ recession are unlikely to be realised, but job losses are still on the cards across sectors for 2010, according to financial experts.

Last month official figures showed that the UK had only just moved out of recession, prompting concern that the British economy could dip back into contraction, causing a second wave of job losses across the private sector.

The economy was also hit by an unexpected collapse in retail sales in January – brought on by the bad weather and the VAT increase.

Richard Lim, an economist at the British Retail Consortium, told Personnel Today that a double-dip recession was unlikely to happen.

However, he warned: “Spending has dropped, so some companies are posting losses and not making the levels of sales. Businesses and retailers have managed to keep on staff, this has come at a cost of margins. Looking forward to 2010 the question mark is whether businesses will be able to maintain the levels of labour.”

John Philpott, chief economist at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development agreed: “Double-dip recession at this point is probably not a likely outcome. My view is that we will see continued weak growth rather than a dip back into recession.”

However, Philpott stressed that during the next six months the economy would be particularly vulnerable.

“Even if there is fairly muted growth, we would expect a continuation of job losses, certainly in the first half of the year,” he said.

Philpott added that businesses may struggle to continue to invest in training this year.

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.

“Business investment has fallen off a cliff in the past year and is still weak. There’s still no sign of a major pick-up there.

“Investment in training has held up reasonably well during the recession, but it doesn’t mean to say it’s been racing ahead,” he said.

Helen Gilbert

previous post
Tea Colaianni leaves Hilton for Merlin Entertainments
next post
Profile: Tony Leahy, head of HR and communications, Bank of Cyprus UK

You may also like

Public sector needs 92,000 more workers to remain...

19 May 2025

Poundland jobs at risk as parent group seeks...

19 May 2025

Burberry puts 1,700 jobs at risk in cost-cutting...

14 May 2025

Microsoft to cut 3% of jobs worldwide

14 May 2025

Nissan to cut 15% of jobs globally

13 May 2025

Downturn in hiring activity eased in April

12 May 2025

UK-US trade deal threatens bioethanol jobs

12 May 2025

CIPD links Employment Rights Bill with low business...

12 May 2025

Jobs on the line across NHS trusts in...

9 May 2025

UK-US deal saves ‘thousands’ of jobs in car...

9 May 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...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+