Report on Jobs – December

The Report on Jobs captures original survey data which provides the most up-to-date monthly picture of recruitment, employment, staff availability and employee earnings trends available. There are three reports, one covering the UK as a whole, one focused specifically on the North of England and one on the South.

The Report on Jobs is a monthly publication produced by IHS Markit and sponsored by KPMG and REC.

Here are the key points from the North Report on Jobs:

• Slowest rise in permanent placements since April 2013
• Steeper falls in availability of both permanent and temporary staff
• Strong demand for staff pushes up starting pay

Here are the key points from the South Report on Jobs:

• Permanent placements and temp billings both rise sharply
• Demand strengthens for permanent and temp staff
• Candidate shortages persist, adding further upward pressure on pay

Here are the key points from the UK Report on Jobs:

• Permanent appointments rise at slowest rate since April 2017…
• …as the supply of candidates falls sharply…
• …leading to further marked increases in starting pay

James Stewart, Vice Chair at KMPG  says:

“A lack of work ready candidates is really beginning to bite UK businesses and the situation is worsening. Many of the UK’s main sectors are now struggling to hire staff. It really is a candidates market at the moment. A lot of people don’t want to move jobs right now because there is so much uncertainty around. In addition, the supply of EU citizens entering the UK for work is slowing whilst every sector continues to take on more staff. This means a near-record number of vacancies are going unfilled and talent gaps in industries like engineering, finance, and IT are opening up.

December is always a bit of lean period in the jobs market but Brexit has amplified that effect. Consequently companies are having to offer increasingly attractive and creative packages to tempt new talent on board. If you aren’t looking forward to another year in your current job, now is a good time to go job hunting.”

Neil Carberry, Chief Executive at Recruitment & Employment Confederation says:

“It’s no surprise that growth in new permanent jobs dropped to its lowest level in almost two years last month, because economic uncertainty is now affecting companies’ hiring plans. But the underlying strength of our labour market is still there – vacancies are high and temporary placements rose in the run-up to Christmas. There are opportunities out there for people who want to change job in 2019.”

For free copies of the full reports, please get in touch or call 0333 023 0077.