London, United Kingdom. Britain’s jobs market lost momentum in April as recruiters became more cautious about hiring amid heightened cost pressures linked to the Iran war, an industry survey showed on Monday.
Report on Jobs findings
The monthly Report on Jobs from KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) showed permanent job placements fell at the fastest pace since January, before the US-Israeli war on Iran began. Employers said in March that the jobs downturn had shown signs of abating.
“The small signs of recovery in the jobs market may have been disrupted in April by the uncertainty stemming from the conflict in Iran,” said Jon Holt, KPMG’s group chief executive.
KPMG and REC said permanent staff placements fell to 47.5 in April from 49.2 in March.
Temporary hiring and candidate availability
Temporary staff hiring rose to 50.4 in April from 48.4 in March, as firms opted for short-term staff due to uncertainty about the Iran war.
The availability of candidates for permanent roles rose slightly faster than that of those seeking temporary roles.
Vacancies and survey details
Vacancies fell for the 30th month in a row, but at the slowest pace in 11 months.
The survey was based on responses from a panel of around 400 recruitment agencies between April 9 and April 24.
BDO survey
A separate survey from BDO showed firms were cautious about hiring, with an employment index reflecting trends in hiring intentions and demand falling to its lowest level in 15 years.
How do you think continued uncertainty will affect employers’ hiring decisions in the coming months?
