Opportunities on the rise!

The UK labour market is heading in the right direction, according to the latest Reed Job Index.
Vacancies increased by 9% in the first quarter of 2012, compared with the same period last year, whilst there was a 6% increase between Q4 2011 and Q1 2012. This rise in job vacancies suggests the UK economy may be well placed to avoid a double dip recession.

Financial services sector continues to grow

The recovery in the UK financial services sector is continuing, a survey has suggested, with optimism improving and firms taking on new staff.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and employers' group the CBI found business volumes in the three months to March grew for the eighth quarter in a row.
Optimism in the sector rose for the first time in a year.
A separate survey of UK finance chiefs suggested that fears of a UK recession or a euro break-up have eased.

Recruitment Partnership have reported an increase in profits of 34% in the last financial year with demand still high for Financial Services specialists in IT and Business Change.

Pay prospects for IT staff are the highest they have been since winter 2007, reveals research by business and technology staffing company ReThink Recruitment.
Its IT directors’ survey shows that 59% of respondents expect salaries for their IT staff in the next year, compared to 47% last year, and just over a quarter (27%) for 2010.
Additionally, 43% of IT directors expect to increase headcounts over the next year, up from 36% last year.

Recruitment Partnership are pleased to announce the appointment of Sian Elsmore as a new permanent consultant to help out with heavy demand across their main markets.

The South West has the lowest unemployment rate in the country, according to new figures.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed that the region had an unemployment rate of 6.1 per cent in the three months to the end of December 2011.
The figures revealed 165,000 were unemployed in the region - 13,000 fewer than in the previous quarter.

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.