British businesses plan to add to workforce
30/01/2012 16:38
The majority of British businesses still plan to add to their workforce in both the short and medium term, according to the latest figures from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). January's REC JobsOutlook research indicates 63 per cent plan on advertising
job vacancies this month, with 31 per cent planning to retain numbers.
In the next 12 months, 59 per cent expect to take on more
permanent staff and 39 per cent will retain current numbers.
Although this marks a dip in confidence from previous outlooks, the REC notes it still shows a "significant" number of firms are looking to add to their workforce in the short and medium terms.
Demand for
temporary staff was also found to be largely unchanged, despite new rules on the treatment of agency workers being introduced.
Roger Tweedy, the REC’s director of research, said the confidence index remains five points above its low, recorded last September.
"The data also shows that the vast majority of businesses plan to maintain or increase their use of temporary staff which indicates that flexible working options will continue to provide an important outlet for employers and job-seekers," he added.
Commenting after the release of the latest unemployment figures, the REC said "positive signs" were being seen with regard to future hiring intentions.
Chief executive Kevin Green noted in particular that strong demand is being seen in the fields of "IT, engineering and office professionals".
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Posted by Chris Burnham
