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Billings: Temporary/contract staff billings increased at the slowest pace since May 2013. Although permanent placements continued to rise in August, the rate of growth eased further, hitting a 27-month low.
AvailablilityTemporary/contract staff availability was also down, with the latest drop the most marked in ten months. The availability of candidates for permanent roles also fell further in August, with the rate of decline accelerating to the sharpest for a year.
RatesTemporary/contract staff pay rose further, albeit at the slowest pace in 16 months. Starting salaries for people placed in permanent roles continued to increase in August. The rate of growth remained strong relative to the survey’s historical average.
Demand Vacancies continued to rise at a marked rate in August. Demand for permanent staff continued to rise at a faster pace than that for temporary workers or contractors, with the latter seeing the slowest growth for 26 months.
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However, this could still place some contractors in a strong position.
Chris Futcher, CEO of Pulse Accounting, said: "With temporary and contract staff billings increasing at the slowest pace since May 2013 and their availability seeing the most marked drop for ten months, there's clearly a squeeze on for contractors with the right skills.
"This is a worry for businesses whose growth could be hampered by not being able to access contractors with the right skills as and when they're needed – or having to pay a premium to secure them. Contractors with the right skills are in a strong position."
REC chief executive Kevin Green, said: “The UK jobs market is entering a new phase. Because of the scarcity of talent available, we expect that employment will continue to grow but at a slower speed than we have seen over the past two years. Likewise, unemployment is likely to slow its rate of descent as we move closer to full employment.
“In response to worsening skills shortages, employers are focussing on retaining the staff they have and this will promote wage growth. Better investment in training and motivating the current workforce should also help to improve productivity.
“Clearly, major problems remain. Across the private sector and in vital public sector roles such as teaching and healthcare, talent shortages are reaching crisis point. We need a more active focus on skills and progression from the government as well as a balanced approach to immigration to get to grips with these entrenched workforce issues.”
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Susie Hughes © Shout99 2015
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