Hiring remains robust despite drop in employer confidence

Although latest figures show a drop in confidence amongst employers, hiring intentions remain positive.

That’s according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) recent JobsOutlook report, which found that in Q3 2022, employers’ confidence in both the UK economic outlook and their own ability to invest in their business declined significantly, with both measures surpassing the lows of the pandemic.

However, the immediate outlook for hiring remains optimistic – hiring intentions for temporary workers were +6 over the next three months and +4 over the next year.

Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, commented on the findings, “The hiring challenges that firms are facing right now may be insulating the jobs market from dropping employer and candidate confidence.”

“That said, over the longer term, we know that addressing shortages will be critical to being able to drive higher growth in our economy.

“In a market where firms are under pressure but still need to hire, getting it right really matters. That’s why working with recruitment professionals is more important than ever.

“Government too would benefit from using more experience from the workplace in designing policy that will make a difference – like reforming the apprenticeship levy and addressing the need for new strategies that support those who are currently economically inactive into work.”

To find out more about contracting please contact Jaime on 01206 591 000 or email jaime.thorpe@contractorumbrella.com.