Smaller employers are more confident of the need to hire new
staff than large businesses, according to a new survey by Manpower.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are leading the
way, with 21 per cent planning to recruit more staff, according to Manpower’s
Employment Outlook Survey. This compares to the 17 per cent of medium sized
businesses and 11 per cent of larger businesses with plans to recruit.
The survey, which looks at the quarter to June 2004, shows
that confidence has risen from the beginning of the year, when only 2 per cent
of large businesses had recruitment plans, compared with 11 per cent of medium-sized
businesses and 17 per cent of small enterprises.
“We’re seeing demand for staff for SMEs across the UK and
from a wide variety of sectors, from manufacturing to retail to financial
services,” said Hazel Detsiny, director at Manpower.
By Roisin Woolnough
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