Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • 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
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • 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
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Latest News

Employment prospects set to fall

by Personnel Today 31 Mar 2003
by Personnel Today 31 Mar 2003

UK
employment prospects are expected to drop in the second quarter, according to a
survey.

The
Manpower Quarterly Survey of Employment Prospects, shows that a net balance of
11 per cent of UK employers will be taking on staff in the period April-June
2003. This is the lowest second-quarter result in four years and is the only
time in a decade that the net balance has fallen from the first to the second
quarter.

The
Manpower survey asked 2,000 UK companies, across 11 regions and 21 industry
sectors, if they expect an increase, decrease or no change in their staffing
levels for the quarter ahead.  A ‘net
balance’ of job gains is calculated by subtracting the employers planning to
decrease staffing levels from the number of employers planning to take on
staff.

Manufacturing
has reported a net balance of 4 per cent, well below the national average of 11
per cent. This is the lowest second-quarter result in four years, and the
second successive quarter-on-quarter fall, suggesting the recent rally in
prospects for manufacturing may be over.

Despite
being above the national average with a net balance of 14 per cent, services is
down slightly on the last quarter.

The
finance sector isn’t looking good. Job losses are predicted for the first time
in seven years (8 per cent net balance, a 10-year low).

High
street retailers have reported their lowest Q2 result since 1993, with a net 7
per cent anticipating taking on more staff in the second quarter.

The
hotels & restaurants sector has also reported its lowest second-quarter
balance since 1992, as global instability impacts on tourism.

The
public sector continues to report significant increases in staff, with a net
balance of 17 per cent this quarter, well above the national average.  Health and education are key to positive
public sector job prospects, with net job gains of 24 per cent and 16 per cent
respectively.

Hazel
Detsiny from Manpower said: "Employment prospects in the public sector are
extremely strong. Despite a slowing of job prospects, it is important to
remember that the UK still suffers from skills shortages and the private sector
will need to continue to compete for talent with the public sector.

"Times
are uncertain and trading conditions tough, but there is still optimism, with
the public sector generating excellent employment opportunities and all of the
regions, particularly in the North, creating more jobs."

The
UK’s strongest employment prospects are in media and sport, with a net balance
of 29 per cent. Other strong sectors are construction and utilities, which have
reported their best second-quarter result in the last decade (26 per cent and
13 per cent respectively) and telecommunications, which has reported a 15 per
cent net balance, up 7 percentage points year-on-year.

By Quentin Reade

Personnel Today
Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Non-compliance over Act is not an option
next post
Sickness absence cure

You may also like

Sharp rise in firms offering enhanced parental leave...

11 Aug 2022

Working in a heatwave: what should employers consider?

11 Aug 2022

Zero-hours contract benefits ‘can outweigh negatives for workers’

11 Aug 2022

Nearly 14,000 whistleblowing reports of furlough fraud received...

11 Aug 2022

Skills passport and new qualifications for care workers...

11 Aug 2022

Uber has more drivers than ever as worker...

11 Aug 2022

Royal Mail strike: Union urges it to ‘get...

10 Aug 2022

Supporting non-binary and transgender staff: four key steps...

10 Aug 2022

Personnel Today Awards 2022 shortlist: Health and Wellbeing...

10 Aug 2022

Train conductor unfairly dismissed after ‘black privilege’ comment

10 Aug 2022
  • 6 reasons why work-based learning is better than traditional training PROMOTED | A recent Fortune/Deloitte survey found that 71% of CEOs are anticipating that this year’s biggest business disrupter...Read more
  • Strengthening Scotland’s public services through virtual recruiting PROMOTED | This website is Scotland's go-to place for job seekers looking to apply for roles in public services...Read more
  • What’s next for L&D? Enter Alchemist… PROMOTED | It’s time to turn off the tedious and get ready for interactive and immersive learning experiences...Read more
  • Simple mistakes are blighting the onboarding experience PROMOTED | The onboarding of new hires is a company’s best chance...Read more
  • Preventing Burnout: How can HR help key workers get the right help? PROMOTED | Workplace wellbeing may seem a distant memory...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 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • 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
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+