Increasing numbers of employers are planning to grow their permanent workforce in the next year, according to the REC’s latest JobsOutlook. In the April survey, more than a third indicated they would be adding to their existing staff.

Just below one in four, or 23 per cent, say they are planning to grow their permanent workforce in the next three months while another 64 per cent intend to keep numbers static.

At the same time, demand for temporary and contract staff remains strong with 93 per cent saying they will either keep their use of agency workers at existing levels or grow them in the short-term with another 81 per doing the same in the longer term.

Commenting on the latest JobsOutlook findings, Roger Tweedy, the REC’s Director of Research, said:

“The current figures really do show we have a transitional jobs market borne out last week by the slight decrease in the unemployment figures. Confidence among employers about their hiring intentions has stayed the same level as last month. At the same time, their reliance on temporary and contract staff is still strong but it is starting to ease slightly.

“The long-term prospects for the jobs market ties in with forecasts that private sector investment and trade will start accelerating in the second half of the year. However, until then, our jobs market will show signs of volatility until the infrastructure for private sector growth is in place to enable more jobs to be created within it.”