UK jobs market records significant dip in candidate availability, research suggests

The UK jobs market has experienced its steepest drop in candidate availability for 16 months, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s latest Report on Jobs.

The recruitment industry body found that the availability of both permanent and temporary candidates declined at sharper rates in April, the steepest deterioration in availability since the start of 2016.

At the same time, the number of vacancies continued to rise for both permanent and temporary/contract staff, although the rate of growth softened slightly.

Nursing and medical or care staff topped the list of the most in-demand temporary workers, followed closely by hotel and catering. Engineering was the most in-demand category for permanent staff during April.

Demand for staff rose most sharply in the private sector. Vacancies for permanent public-sector staff, by contrast, declined for the second month in a row. Demand for temporary workers in the public sector also fell slightly, for the first time.

REC chief executive Kevin Green said: “We have the lowest unemployment rate since 2005, and people already in work are becoming more hesitant about moving jobs amid Brexit uncertainty.

“Meanwhile, the weakening pound and lack of clarity about future immigration rules is putting off some EU nationals from taking up roles in the UK.

“As a result, candidate availability is at a 16-month low and recruiters are flagging a shortage of suitable applicants for more than 60 different roles from cleaner to accountant.”

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