Let’s Talk March/April 2021

Key points:
– Employer confidence in making hiring and investment decisions improved by six percentage points this quarter, rising to net: +13. In February 2021 alone, sentiment surged to net: +29.
– Short-term hiring intentions for permanent staff fell from the previous rolling quarter, although they remained high at net: +19. In the medium term, they continued to rise to net +30.
– Short-term demand for temporary agency workers rose significantly from the previous rolling quarter to net: +14. Similarly, medium‑term hiring intentions rose to net: +15.
– There were heightened levels of concern about shortages of construction workers this quarter, from both employers hiring for permanent staff and temporary agency workers.
– Two in five (40%) employers reported having decreased their workers’ hours in the period to December 2020–February 2021, up from just 12% in the same period leading up to February 2020.
– At 39%, the proportion of UK employers using recruitment agencies or search firms to support their permanent recruitment efforts was up from 31% recorded a year earlier.

Source: REC, 2021

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