UK jobs

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 | Updated: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:59 GMT

Permanent and temporary vacancies have fallen at record rates, according to a new report.

The Report on Jobs, published by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG, shows that both permanent and temporary staff openings fell at survey-record rates as demand for staff contracted sharply, while wages and salaries declined for the first time since 2003. Candidate availability also increased, driven by redundancies and fewer appointments.

However, the nursing/medical/care sector continued to buck the trend by recording growth, but demand for staff contracted sharply elsewhere.

Kevin Green, chief executive at the REC, said: "These are the worst figures we have seen since the report began in 1997, with both vacancies and the number of job placements falling at an increasing rate.

"Although businesses are clearly recruiting less, it is vital that they do continue to use agencies to provide them with the right staff in order to remain competitive. The fast and effective sourcing of candidates will also be crucial when the economy starts to pick up again and will enable businesses to seize new opportunities.”

 

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