UK employers hired permanent staff in December at the slowest rate since April the year before as they struggle to find appropriate staff for the post, a new report revealed on Wednesday.
The latest jobs report from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG showed how employers are struggling for staff and demand greater efforts to be able to secure suitable candidates.
Employers said that the economic uncertainty generated by Brexit was shrinking the number of EU workers in the UK and was making people wary of seeking out new roles.
The report found that the number of workers continued to fall sharply at the end of 2018, quickening since November. This low supply inevitably affected the number of permanent staff appointments during the month of December, which was at its lowest since April 2017.
James Stewart, vice chair at KPMG, said,
A lot of people don’t want to move jobs right now because there is so much uncertainty around. In addition, the supply of EU citizens entering the UK for work is slowing while every sector continues to take on more staff. This means a near-record number of vacancies are going unfilled and talent gaps in industries like engineering, finance, and IT are opening up. December is always a bit of lean period in the jobs market but Brexit has amplified that effect.
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Aphrodite is a creative writer and editor specialising in publishing and communications. She is passionate about undertaking projects in diverse sectors. She has written and edited copy for media as varied as social enterprise, art, fashion and education. She is at her most happy owning a project from its very conception, focusing on the client and project research in the first instance, and working closely with CEOs and Directors throughout the consultation process. Much of her work has focused on rebranding; messaging and tone of voice is one of her expertise, as is a distinctively unique writing style in my most of her creative projects. Her work is always driven by the versatility of language to galvanise image and to change perception, as it is by inspiring and being inspired by the wondrous diversity of people with whom paths she crosses cross!
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This report certainly aligns with my experience in terms of candidate availability. The shortage and reluctancy of potential candidates to move due to uncertainty is real and for sure requires a different approach. Companies need to ensure that they are more structured in their approach to identifying talent as the days of posting a few ads and waiting for a flood of top candidates are over, in my opinion.