“Looking ahead, public sector cuts could act as a counterweight to the improving jobs outlook in the private sector. Post-election, the debate will need to focus on new ways of delivering public services rather than on short-term cuts, and this is one of the main thrusts of our current public sector resourcing campaign.”
The latest research from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) shows a massive rise in employer confidence as the jobs market begins to return to normality.
A welcoming 96% of employers stated they now expect their permanent workforces to remain static or grow within the next three months – a rise of two per cent on the previous month.
While a total of 86 per cent expect their use of agency workers to grow or stay the same within the same period.
Roger Tweedy, the REC’s Director of Research, said: “This is the most encouraging sign we have had so far that the jobs market is now gathering momentum led by a higher demand for temporary workers. Following last month’s slight dip in employer confidence businesses are forging ahead with plans to stabilise or expand their workforces. This fits with the feedback from professional recruiters on the ground, who are reporting increased hiring activity in most sectors.