Growth in the recruitment of staff slowed to its weakest pace in 18 months in January.
That was mainly due to a fall of demand for workers, while wage growth also eased to a nine-month low, according to the REC/Deloitte permanent placement index.
The index, which measures recruitment consultancies’ permanent staff placements, fell to 55.3 in January – 50 marking the dividing line between growth and contraction.
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That was down from 56.0 in December.
Demand for staff as measured by the vacancies index, which fell to 60.1 from 62.1, was at its lowest in nearly a year. As a result, growth in pay for both permanent and temporary workers also slowed. The permanent staff salary index fell to 58.2 in January from 59.1, the slowest rate of increase in nine months.
