Insights

“The recruitment market is recovering from the initial slowdown at the beginning of the year. The OBR's prediction that the UK will avoid a recession this year has influenced the increases in March and April. The Chancellor's Budget has also played a role, but APSCo believes that more could have been included, such as a review of the Apprenticeship Levy funds and more viable visa routes for highly skilled international contractors.

While there is an annual decline in a number of metrics, this is less surprising when we consider that this time last year we were seeing record breaking vacancies in job moves. It is interesting to note the trends in the contract recruitment market, which are showing signs of difficulty. This may be an indication that the skills shortages are having a negative impact on the flexible labour market.”