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Jobs market 'to improve throughout 2010'

Date Added: Sun January 10 2010
UK job market activity is growing at its fastest rate since July 2007, according to new data from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG.


The figures for last month recorded the sharpest growth in the number of permanent and temporary placements for two and a half years.

The number of staff appointments rose for the fifth month in a row in December, with demand for permanent and temporary or contract staff increasing at the strongest rates for 29 and 22 months respectively.

“As we head into 2010, the recovery of the UK jobs market is accelerating. Employer confidence is increasing and vacancies are on the up,” said Kevin Green, chief executive of the REC.

He added that the sharp increase in temporary and contract placements “underlines the crucial role that flexible working models will play in helping jobseekers back into work”.

The survey of 400 recruitment consultancies pointed to a promising outlook for the UK labour market, but the recovery could be dampened by the threat of public-sector job cuts this year, according to KMPG.

Bernard Brown, KPMG’s partner and head of business services, said: “The jobs market has continued its journey back to health and the data is certainly encouraging. However, the prospect of possibly extensive public-sector job cuts in the second half of 2010 casts a long shadow over everything. The jobs market has been cushioned in recent years by continued public-sector expansion. If this is put into reverse post-election, it could have a significant effect on employment figures."