Permanent placements in UK rise at slowest rate in eight months
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Temporary/contract staff billings growth also eased, following April’s 13-month high. Vacancies rose at a marked pace in May, with the rate of growth quickening slightly since April. Stronger increases were recorded for both permanent and short-term employees.
Permanent staff salary growth eased to a 31-month low in May, although remained above the survey’s historical average. Having increased at the strongest rate in almost nine years during April (partly driven by the new National Living Wage), temporary/contract staff pay posted a slower but still marked rise in May.
Further reductions in staff availability were signalled in May. However, slower falls were indicated for both permanent and temporary/contract staff, with the latest declines the least marked in over two and a half years.
Recruiters based in the South of England recorded the strongest rise in permanent placements during May. London was the only region where placements fell, albeit moderately.
Temp billings increased across the English regions, with the strongest growth indicated in the North. ■