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- Nick Elvin
The number of people placed in permanent jobs by recruitment consultants continued to rise in April, according to the latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG Report on Jobs.
Moreover, the rate of this expansion quickened to an eight-month high, reflecting a stronger increase in demand for staff.
And agencies’ short-term staff billings increased further in April, although the latest rise was the slowest in six months, corresponding with a moderation in the rate of growth of demand for temporary/contract staff to the least marked since January.
Meanwhile growth of permanent staff salaries accelerated to a nine-month high in April, thanks in part to a combination of strong demand and skill shortages. Hourly rates of pay for temporary/contract staff increased at the fastest pace since July 2007.
The availability of staff to fill permanent roles deteriorated further in April, with the rate of contraction accelerating to the sharpest in five months. Temporary/contract staff availability meanwhile declined at a marked pace that was similar to that seen in March.
In a reversal of the trend seen in recent months, London saw the sharpest growth of permanent placements during April, while the slowest expansion was seen in the Midlands.
However, the Midlands remained the strongest-performing region for temp billings in April, with the slowest growth indicated in the North.
Private sector demand for staff continued to rise at a stronger pace than that for public sector workers in April. The fastest rate of growth overall was signalled for private sector permanent employees.
Executive/professional was the most in-demand category for permanent staff in April, with accounting/financial in second place. The slowest growth was signalled for hotel and catering workers.
Nursing/medical/care led a broad-based expansion in demand for short-term staff during April. Secretarial/clerical workers saw the next-strongest rise in demand, ahead of blue collar staff.
Kevin Green, REC chief executive, said: “For the last two and a half years we’ve seen month on month increases in the amount of people getting permanent roles. We’ve also seen higher numbers of vacancies being posted by businesses as they seek to capitalise on increased demand.
“This is good for job seekers, because we continue to see starting salaries increase as employers compete for talent. However we question how sustainable this jobs boom is as skill and talent shortages become rife. The availability of staff has been falling for two years, with 40% of recruiters saying that the situation is getting worse month on month.”
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