Employer Confidence Drops Further in Run-up to Election

Employers’ confidence in the UK economy has dropped to the lowest level since mid-2016, according to new data from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC). In the run-up to the general election, confidence levels have fallen to a net figure of -34 in the REC’s latest JobsOutlook report.

The findings underline the need for this election to focus on work. Employers are ready to invest, and significantly more businesses are looking to increase their permanent staffing than decrease it, both in the short term (net: +23) and the medium term (net: +26). However, these ambitions are being held back by political and economic uncertainty, and hiring confidence has dropped back into negative territory (net: -4).

Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said:

“This month’s figures show that there is a great deal of potential in Britain’s businesses, just waiting to be unleashed. With so many firms at or close to full capacity, it’s no surprise that employers want to invest in their workforces. And it’s not just permanent staff – hiring intentions for temporary workers are positive too. Recruiters are using all their expertise to help find the right people to fill these vacancies, and three in four employers are happy with the work they’re doing.

“But it is uncertainty that is holding firms back. An incoming government should prioritise work by ensuring the two-way flexibility of the labour market is protected, allowing employers to recruit the staff they need while also protecting workers. This is the last set of JobsOutlook data before the general election, and we are urging all parties to think hard about how their policies will impact companies and their workers.

“Concrete measures like delaying changes to IR35, introducing an affordable two-year temporary work visa, or creating a Good Recruitment Taskforce will support employers and workers to make great work happen. By putting people at the heart of its industrial strategy, a new government can help employers to boost productivity and provide good jobs for people across the country.”

Other key points from the latest JobsOutlook include:

• Three in four (75%) employers indicated they had little or no surplus capacity in their workforce. This increased to 84% in the UK’s largest organisations (250+ employees).

• Half (50%) of employers of permanent staff reported that they were concerned about shortages of candidates for hire.

• Seven in ten (70%) employers increased pay/earnings in the year to August-October 2019. This was up from 57% a year earlier.

• Nine in ten (90%) employers who use recruitment agencies highlighted an agency’s regional and/or sectoral expertise as an important factor when choosing their recruitment partners.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:  

JobsOutlook is produced by the REC in partnership with Savanta ComRes. Savanta ComRes interviewed 600 UK employers involved in hiring by telephone between 5 August and 30 October 2019. Data were weighted to be representative of UK adults in employment by region, broad industry sector and public/private split. Savanta ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Data tables are available at www.comresglobal.com.

Press enquiries:

For more information and to enquire about media interviews, contact the REC Press Office on +44 (0) 20 7009 2129, +44 (0) 20 7009 2192 or pressoffice@rec.uk.com. An ISDN line is available for interviews on +44 (0) 20 7021 0584.

Click here to view all REC press releases.

The REC is the voice of the recruitment industry, speaking up for great recruiters. We drive standards and empower recruitment businesses to build better futures for their candidates and themselves. We are champions of an industry which is fundamental to the strength of the UK economy.

Find out more about the Recruitment & Employment Confederation at www.rec.uk.com.