14 January 2016

Hiring intentions above average in the Eastern region

In a survey run by workforce experts Manpower, results revealed that hiring intentions in the region stand positively with a Net Employment Outlook of 9pc, compared to the national average of 7pc.

The Employment Outlook Survey is based on responses from 2,102 UK employers and asks whether firms intend to hire additional workers or reduce the size of their workforce in the coming quarter.

Used as a key economic statistic by both the Bank of England and the government, it is considered the most comprehensive, forward-looking employment survey of its kind.

Krissie Davies, operations director at Manpower UK, said: "After a year of above average hiring intentions in the East, it’s great news for the region that this trend is set to continue into the New Year.

"What’s more, we’re seeing strong demand for candidates across all levels and sectors, from sales and customer services, to manufacturing, IT and insurance."

The survey further revealed that there are increasing skills shortages which have driven up pay rates in some areas.

The national, seasonally adjusted, Outlook has jumped two percentage points to 7pc as companies ramp up hiring plans going into the New Year.

The upbeat national picture is being fuelled by Britain’s booming business and finance services sector, at 10pc, and particularly high tech areas such as cyber security.

Recent high profile data breaches such as those at TalkTalk and Sony, have created a surge in demand for cyber security experts.

ManpowerGroup has seen a record number of requests received for specialists with IT security expertise in 2015, four times the demand that it saw last year.

Despite the positive national picture for the first quarter of 2016, employers face uncertainties later in the year.

Mark Cahill, managing director of ManpowerGroup UK, said: "The introduction of the National Living Wage in April 2016 is set to send shockwaves through the UK jobs market, especially in generally lower paid sectors such as retail, hospitality and social care.

"Many employers are still working out how much the national living wage will cost them – and how they are going to pay for it – and the picture that will emerge over the coming months may not be all rosy.

"This is combined with looming uncertainty over the timing and outcome of Britain’s EU referendum. The General Election had the effect of pausing the uptick in employment in April and early May and ManpowerGroup expects Brexit uncertainty to have an even more dramatic impact."