Survey indicates ray of hope in British job market

The United Kingdom’s labor market is close to showing growth as employers reported their strongest recruitment intentions since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey indicates.

Of the 2,000 employers polled, 56 percent indicated they are looking to recruit in the first quarter of 2021, up from 53 percent in the previous quarter and 49 percent six months ago.

Sectors with the strongest hiring intentions include healthcare (80 percent), finance and insurance (65 percent), education (65 percent) and information and communications (67 percent).

But industries most affected by social distancing measures show less optimism. In the hospitality sector, which has stagnated for a year, just 36 percent of companies intend to recruit.

The annual survey is carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, or CIPD, with recruitment company Adecco.

Its net employment intentions figure, which measures the difference between the proportion of employers expecting to add jobs and those planning to cut positions, rose to +11 for the first three months of 2021, its highest in a year. “These are the first signs of positive employment prospects that we’ve seen in a year,” said Gerwyn Davies, from the CIPD.

A statement from the CIPD said: “Employer confidence may be increasing due to a combination of factors, including the Brexit free-trade agreement, the extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to the end of April and the anticipation of economic recovery later this year.”