Wages continue to fall, report finds

For both permanent and temporary staff, wages have continued to slide, it has been found.

In the latest report on jobs by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), HR staff signalled that May starting salaries for people placed in permanent jobs fell at a "sharp pace".

At the same time average hourly pay for temps also fell last month.

Meanwhile, lower permanent and temporary staff appointments were also recorded during May. However, it was found the rates of decline eased to the weakest in ten and eight months respectively.

Get our essential weekday HR news and updates. Company This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Work Email Keep up with the latest in HR... This field is hidden when viewing the form Optin_form This field is hidden when viewing the form Optin_date Year Month Day This field is hidden when viewing the form Batch_Newsletter

Kevin Green, chief executive of the REC, said the report shows "there are some signs of recovery".

"For example, 60 per cent of recruiters reported either a stable or increased demand for temporary staff in May," he added.

Meanwhile, the Institute of Employment Rights (IER) has urged employers to think about the long-term effects of cutting the minimum wage before they campaign for it.

Carolyn Jones, director of the IER, said such a move could have far-reaching economic implications, particular for private sector jobs.