The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs survey, compiled by S&P Global, showed that lingering economic uncertainty and rising costs continued to impact hiring trends in March. Recruiters recorded a marginal fall in permanent staff placements across the UK, while temp billings growth quickened to a six-month high.
Candidate availability meanwhile rose for the first time in just over two years, driven by a combination of relatively improved confidence among a number of job seekers, but also redundancies in some areas. At the same time, the rising cost of living and efforts to attract and secure suitable staff drove further marked increases in starting pay. Total vacancies continued on an upward trend, though growth edged down from February's four-month high.