The number of permanent staff being placed by recruitment consultants
increased for the eighth consecutive month in October.
According to November’s Report on Jobs by the Recruitment & Employment
Confederation and Deloitte & Touche, the rise is largely due to growth in
the public sector.
The report also reveals that there was an increase in temporary staff
billing for the 10th successive month, with the fastest rate of increase since
July.
Recruitment consultancies linked the increase in permanent placements and
higher billings with a further marked rise in demand for temporary staff.
However, the research also reveals that the market for executive and
professional staff remained depressed, with a further sharp decline in national
newspaper advertising in September. The rate of decline at 26.9 eased for the
fifth successive month to the lowest since August 2002.
The study shows that private sector staffing levels have contracted for the
17th consecutive month, but employers reported the rate of job shedding was the
slowest since June.
Brett Walsh, head of UK human capital at Deloitte & Touche, said much of
the increase in demand for staff in October was driven by increased demand for
permanent staff in the public sector, notably in healthcare.
He added: "Private sector employment continued to fall – especially at
the executive level where employers remain cautious with regard to recruiting,
and many firms continue to reduce headcounts to cut costs."
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