PERMANENT PLACEMENTS UP FIRST TIME IN A YEAR SAYS REPORT ON
JOBS

JR Personnel are clearly on trend as we saw an exceptional month of permanent placements!

The UK witnessed improved hiring conditions at the end of
the year, according to the latest 'UK Report on Jobs'.

The KPMG/Recruitment & Employment Confederation report, signalled
the first rise in permanent staff appointments for a year, although growth was
only modest. The increase was linked to higher business activity, the green
light to previously delayed hiring plans and the upcoming IR35 legislation
changes. Temp billings also rose slightly at the end of last year.

While growth in demand for staff improved marginally from
November, the rate of expansion remained close to a decade-low and was modest
overall. While permanent vacancies rose at the fastest pace for three months,
growth in demand for temp workers softened since November.

While the rate of deterioration softened since November,
candidate availability continued to decline sharply in December. Recruiters
attributed lower candidate availability to lingering uncertainty and skill
shortages. Permanent staff supply contracted at a quicker pace than that
witnessed for short-term workers.

Across the country, permanent staff appointments rose in
London, the Midlands and the North of England, but fell further in the South of
England. Increases in temp billings were recorded across all four monitored
areas, with the Midlands witnessing by far the steepest rate of growth.

Permanent vacancies increased in eight of the 10 sectors
monitored by the survey in December, with the steepest increases seen in blue
collar and engineering. However, retail registered a further marked fall in
demand for permanent workers.

Hotel & catering topped the rankings for temporary staff
vacancies in December, followed by blue collar, while the only sectors to
record lower demand for short-term staff were IT & computing, retail and
executive & professional.

Commenting on the findings, REC CEO Neil Carberry said:
"After the uncertainty of 2019, there are some signs of a clearer outlook for
hiring in today's survey. With a new government in place and the path ahead
looking more predictable, some businesses have decided that they have waited
long enough. The first increase in permanent placements for a year should give
encouragement to both recruiters and employers – let's hope this is a sign of
positive things to come.

"Feedback from recruiters shows that the upcoming IR35
changes are affecting both placements and the availability of flexible workers.
This is a delicate period for the jobs market, and is the worst time to push
through sweeping changes to the way we tax contractors. It is right that
government engages further with business on the changes, but they should also
delay implementation until next year to allow time for a full, independent
review and effective regulation of the umbrella sector. As it stands, the
government risks damaging ethical businesses and encouraging non-compliance."