May news …Rise in Vacancies…Drop in candidate availability.

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Key Points:

  • Continued rise in permanent placements;
  • Growth of demand for staff picks up for the first time in nine months;
  • Steeper decline in candidate availability triggers greater rises in pay.

Permanent placements…

There has been an increase in permanent placements but the rate of expansion in April was the softest witnessed in 2018. The growth of placements was underpinned by a further substantial rise in demand for staff and greater job vacancies.

Decline in candidate availability…

The rate of reduction in candidate availability for permanent roles has quickened to a three-month record. The steepest decline was in the South of England.

Growth of demand for staff…

Vacancies for permanent roles have increased, thereby indicating that there is a greater demand for staff. This demand was higher in the public, as compared to the private, sector.

Pay pressures…

There has been a further rise in starting salaries for candidates placed into permanent roles. This has been linked to candidate shortages and a robust demand for staff. The strongest rise was in the South of England.

 

Commentary 

Demand for staff is still on the rise in every other sector, but candidate availability keeps dropping. Employers are paying more to attract the right people into their vacancies. For individuals, now is a good time to look for a new job, as you are in a strong position to negotiate higher pay. For employers, the challenge is to stay ahead of the competition to maintain and enhance your workforce. This is about more than just pay, it is about providing progression opportunities and a positive workplace culture. As recruitment gets harder the only solution for employers is to get better at attracting and retaining the right skills and staff…

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Latest market news: High demand for staff but low candidate Availability

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 Key points from the March Survey:

  • Permanent placements continue to rise;
  • Growth of demand for staff remains high, but candidate availability drops lower;
  • Starting salaries increase to greatest extent for five months.

Growth in permanent placements…

Although the rate of expansion has softened from February’s three-year record high, the growth in permanent placements remains sharp. Permanent placements vacancies continue to rise at a slightly faster pace than that for temporary job roles.

Candidate availability...

The availability of permanent workers has fallen for the fifty-seventh consecutive month in March. Key permanent staff skills reported in short supply includes in particular Accountants, Engineers, HGV Drivers and Web Developers.

Pay pressures…

The rate of inflation in salaries for newly-placed permanent staff has accelerated for the second month running in March. Evidence suggested that the higher salaries are attributed to strong demand for staff alongside competition for scarce numbers of candidates with the required skills for the roles. Data published by the Office for National Statistics shows improved earnings growth in its latest report. Alongside a softer increase in living costs, this suggests that the pressure on real wages may be coming to an end.

Commentary:

Permanent placements are growing month on month as demand for staff remains high. More people are entering employment, but it doesn’t make up for the shortfall of candidates for many roles, from cyber security and aerospace through to sewing machinists and drivers.

As a result, employers are increasing starting pay to draw candidates away from current roles into new positions. 

Candidates planning to move jobs have a strong chance of getting a pay rise. With inflation outstripping pay growth for over a year now, high pay offers will be tempting, as the pressure on starting salaries still isn’t translating into pay rises for staff who stay put. Employers need to look at other means to keep staff, such as creating a good workplace culture and offering progression opportunities.

 

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Inflation Remains at a Record High Amid Candidate Shortages

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Key Points from the February Survey:

  • Softer rise in permanent placements
  • High levels of candidate shortages amid high starting salaries
  • Softer rise in staff vacancies

Softer rise in permanent placements…

The number of people placed in permanent jobs increased in February although at a slower rate than January’s recent high. The continued increase has  been attributed to a strong demand for staff and a greater willingness among candidates to take up new roles

Decreased demand for staff…

The demand for staff for permanent positions has risen at its slowest pace in fourteen months.

Availability of staff…

The availability of staff for permanent roles continued to decline in February.

Pay Pressure…

Salaries for permanent starters have increased further in February and the rate of inflation remains at a record high. The higher salaries have been attributed to higher candidate and skill shortages amid rising vacancies.

 

 

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Market update: Salary inflation hits 31 month record!

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Key Points

  • Strong rise in recruitment
  • Starting salary inflation hits 31-month record alongside lack of candidate availability;
  • Growth of demand for candidates declines slightly but still remains high.

Sharp Increase in Permanent Placements

Permanent placements have continued to rise each month for the past year-and-a-half. This growth has been linked to a greater demand for staff, although some panellists suggest that improved decision-making has also been a factor.

Increase in vacancies:

Overall demand has continued to rise in January.

Availability of Permanent Staff:

The number of available permanent candidates has continued to deteriorate in 2018. Key permanent staff skills reported in short supply includes paraplanners.

Higher Starting Salary Inflation:

Starting salaries for successful permanent candidates has increased at the fastest pace for over two-and-a-half years.

UK Unemployment Rate in Context:

The UK employment rate is at a four-decade low of 4.3% which is below the EU jobless rate of 7.3%. The jobless rates are higher in Austria (5.4%) and the Netherlands (4.4%), but lower in the US (4.1%), Germany (3.6%) and Japan (2.7%) in comparison to the UK.

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Recruitment news Jan 2018 – Permanent recruitment continues to rise at an increasing pace

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Key Points from the December Survey:

  • Permanent placements continue to rise at an increasing pace;
  • Pay inflation remains high alongside a further decrease in candidate availability;
  • Demand for staff softens but remains historically strong.

Permanent Placements

Permanent staff placements have increased at the quickest pace since August. This has resulted in a higher number of people placed in permanent job roles for the seventeenth month running in December.  Key permanent staff skills reported to be in short supply esp paraplanners but also in construction and engineering.

Staff Availability

There has been an accelerated and steep drop in permanent candidate numbers. The rate of deterioration is the fastest recorded over the past two years.

Permanent Salaries

The trend of higher starting salaries for permanent jobs has continued into December. Although the pace of inflation softened for the third month in a row, growth remained sharp overall.

Demand for Staff

Although there has been an easing in the rate of expansion of demand for staff, the rate of growth has remained sharp and above the series average.

Employment

Latest statistics reveal that 32.08 million people were in work in the three months to October. Although this was 56,000 fewer than in the prior three months, this showed an increase of 325,000 compared to the same period in 2016.

Commentary: The number of people finding jobs via recruiters is growing, even while the overall employment rate is plateauing. This suggests that more employers are turning to recruiters to help them fill vacancies as candidate availability continues to fall and recruiting good people becomes that much harder. As a response to these candidate shortages are offering increased starting salaries to attract staff but while this has been the case for some time it isn’t translating into significant wage growth across the economy yet.

Early in the New Year, people often think about changing jobs, so employers are going to have to think carefully about how they can both retain existing capabilities and find the new hires they need as competition for people intensifies. Bosses should consider going to wider talent pools and to be inventive about how to improve their employer brand and make themselves an even more attractive place to work.

 

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Job Searches: Look at the Entire Package (Not Just the Salary!)

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Job Searches: Look at the Entire Package (Not Just the Salary!)

The start of a new year often coincides with a spike in job searches. In fact, more than half of the UK population will look for a new job in 2018. It can be tempting to focus solely on the offered salary. However, a wider perspective which takes into account the entire package being offered is advisable. Other factors to be considered include:

Pension Contributions

It can be important to consider whether your employer is using a defined contribution (DC) pension or a defined benefit (DB) pension scheme. The average employer for a DC scheme puts in 3.2% of salary, but this number can range from the minimum 1% to 10%. The average employer for a DB scheme, conversely, puts on 16.9%. If you seek a greater reward for your work, rather than additional cash, this can be a way of getting more money from your employer by diverting a greater amount of your salary into your pension.

Life Cover

Almost all employers offer a payment of several times your salary if you die while performing contractual duties. The majority will also pay for income protection; this will provide you with a regular income if you are unable to work for a while.

Medical Insurance

One-fifth of employees have private medical insurance. To replace this benefit, it would cost an average of just under £1,500. The benefits outweigh the payment of tax on their cover.

Save as You Earn Schemes

After paying a monthly sum into such schemes for a period of three to five years, you will be given a bonus. You can then buy shares in your employer at a fixed price. If the share price has increased during the period you can buy the shares at a large discount. If share price has fallen, you simply get your savings back with the addition of the bonus.

If you are currently involved in such schemes and decide to move employers, you will only get your savings back and no longer have the option to buy shares. Occasionally a new employer will compensate you for the forgone share options.

Other Benefits on Offer

These include:

  • Tax-free childcare vouchers;
  • Tax-efficient computer or bike schemes;
  • Season ticket loans;
  • Cheaper insurance cover;
  • Discounted shopping vouchers;
  • Free parking.

In conclusion, it is important to compare ALL the benefits offered by an existing and potential employer before deciding to accept a new job. There may be the possibility to negotiate with your current employer over the benefits offered.

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Permanent placements rise to greatest extent since August

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Key Points from the November Survey:

  • Permanent placements rise at a quicker pace;
  • Availability of candidates continues to decline sharply;
  • High demand for staff leads to further increases in pay;
  • The unemployment rate remains low.

Staff Appointments Rise Further…

The growth in permanent placements has reached a three-month high across the UK. The rise has been attributed to an increased demand for staff and company expansion plans.

The number of permanent placements in the South, conversely, is increasing at a slower rate.

Vacancies…

Staff vacancies have continued to rise sharply. The rate of growth since October, however, has slackened slightly.

Across all sectors, the number of permanent staff vacancies has increased. In descending order, the sectors with the greatest number are:

  • Accounting/Finance;
  • IT and Computing;
  • Engineering;
  • Executive/Professional.

Staff Availability…

Across the UK the availability of candidates to fill permanent roles has continued to decline. The South has recorded the steepest decline in permanent labour supply. The key permanents staff skills reported to be in short supply include:

  • Accounting/Finance:
    • Audit, Estimators, Insurance, Paraplanners, Payroll.
  • Blue Collar:
    • HGV and LGV Drivers, Production and Distribution.
  • Construction:
    • Construction, conveyancing, Quantity Surveyors.
  • Engineering:
    • Aerospace, Engineers, Technicians.

Pay Pressures…

The average starting salaries for permanents jobs has continued to increase, resulting in a growth which has lasted for just over five-and-a-half years. The increase is salary has been attributed to low candidate availability combined with a strong demand for staff. The quickest rate of inflation has been recorded in the North.

Unemployment…

The unemployment rate and claimant count for the UK remains historically low.

The unemployment rate stands at the lowest level it has been since 1975. It is virtually identical for both men and women.

In October, approximately 806,000 people claimed out-of-work benefits. Although a rise by around 24,000 people compared to last year, the claimant count has remained close to its lowest level recorded in the early 1970s.

 

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Business Quick Stats..

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A Snapshot of Statistics from Recent Months

84% of small businesses have no official ransomware policy. Staff are put at risk of cyber attacks….

92% of cyber attacks suffered by UK businesses were targeted at connected devices such as networked security cameras….

5 million working hours are lost every week by small businesses due to everyday IT issues…

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Continued high demand leading to key shortages and increasing salaries…

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Key August points

  • Permanent placements rise
  • Demand for staff increases at fastest rate since April 2015
  • Candidate availability declines at quicker pace, pushing pay rates higher

Commentary: Employers are finding it harder to find the people to fill the jobs available. In many areas of the jobs market candidate supply cannot meet demand. Employers are having to offer more money to secure the people with the skills they need. This is good news for individuals, but businesses will be concerned about the sustainability of this trend as businesses can only grow if they have access to the people and skills they need.

UK wide …

Staff appointments continue to rise sharply in August

The number of people placed into permanent job roles continued to rise sharply in August

Staff vacancies rise at quickest rate for 28 months

August showed a further steep increase in staff vacancies. Furthermore, growth of demand for staff reached its highest since April 2015.

Pay growth strengthens…

Growth of permanent starting salaries accelerated for the fourth month running in August. Notably, it was the quickest rate of pay inflation seen since October 2015.

…amid further drop in candidate availability

The availability of candidates to fulfil permanent job roles continued to decline sharply in August.

In the South of England there was a sharp increase in permanent placements in August

Permanent placements rise at sharper rate

The number of people placed into permanent roles in the South of England increased for the thirteenth successive month in August.

Faster drop in permanent candidate supply

There has been a further deterioration in the availability of permanent staff in August and one of the key notable shortages in the SE has been paraplanners.

 

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