The Recruitment Confidence Index (RCI) has moved upwards for the third
consecutive quarter, and things look set to improve steadily for 2004.
Findings from the RCI, developed by Cranfield School of Management and the
Daily Telegraph, in association with Personnel Today, show that it now stands
at 134, compared with 113 nine months ago.
Employers are forecasting an improvement in business conditions. A net
figure of +44 per cent expect conditions to improve over the next six months,
compared with +43 per cent in the autumn.
Overall business confidence stands at -2 per cent compared with -5 per cent
last autumn. The mood seems particularly buoyant among manufacturers, with a
net figure of +2 per cent feeling confident about the future compared with -3
per cent last autumn.
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