Long-term Hiring Intentions Up

There has been a slight improvement in long-term hiring intentions and strong demand for temporary staff remains, according to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation’s (REC’s) JobsOutlook.
Of the employers surveyed, 59% said they were planning to grow their permanent staff in the next 12 months (54% when asked about the next three months), and another 35% said they would be keeping it at the same level, pushing the REC’s barometer up three points from the previous month.
Agency staff demand remains high, with 28% of employers expecting to increase their temporary workforce over the next three months and 52% planning to retain current levels, while 83% were looking to increase or keep temporary staff levels at their current level in the longer term.
In the public sector, a large majority (82%) of employers are expecting cuts to have an impact on hiring, alongside 23% of private sector employers. Confidence among private sector companies has grown, however, with 15% expecting no impact on staffing levels due to cuts, up from 6% last month.