REC: Permanent staff placements on the rise

There has been good news for recruitment agencies this week, after the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) announced permanent staff placements grew in December at the strongest rate seen since July 2007.

Furthermore, temporary and contract billings were also up, rising at the sharpest pace seen for 30 months.

Further increases in the salaries of permanent staff members were also noted in the research, which was conducted with KPMG.

Meanwhile, the availability of candidates to fill vacant positions was also on the rise, although these improvements occurred at a slower pace than seen in recent years.

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Commenting on the news, Kevin Green, chief executive of REC, said: “Despite the increase in demand for both temporary and permanent staff, the jobs market will remain extremely competitive, particularly for younger candidates.”

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development recently announced it was calling for a freeze to the minimum wage in order to encourage the recovery of the jobs market and in particular help tackle joblessness among young people.