Brexit making employers hesitant to hire
EAST Midlands businesses are less confident about taking on staff in the light of Brexit uncertainty, lower-than-expected economic growth and falling consumer confidence.
Yet the latest Employment Outlook Survey by recruitment firm Manpower said despite the concerns, reluctance by some sectors to take on staff was being balanced out by strong activity in the manufacturing and call centre industries.
The survey is based on responses from 2,107 UK employers, who were asked if they intend to hire additional workers or reduce the size of their workforce in the next three months.
Manpower said it was the most comprehensive, forward-looking employment survey of its kind future prospects is reinforced by the most optimistic, while the bigand is used as a key economic stathe positive response from busigest faller this quarter has been tistic by both the Bank of England nesses to the £700 million East the West Midlands. and the Government. Midlands Gateway logistics park Despite the results suggesting
Nationally, Manpower suggestbeing built at Castle Donington. call centres are taking on staff, last ed this was the first quarter since “Global logistics business week the Mercury revealed that 2009 – when Britain was in the Kuehne and Nagel has recently NatWest was laying off almost 180 depths of the financial crisis – that signed a 15- year lease on a people at its Leicester call centre. the country has seen business 195,000 square feet unit at Segro The bank has decided not to and financial services employers Logistics Park East Midlands renew the lease on offices in take a negative outlook. Gateway and the region is lookWestern Boulevard, with the loss
Manpower UK director Chris ing forward to the completion of of 179 jobs.There are 350 staff at Gray said hiring confidence in the Amazon’s new 500,000 square the office, called Bede House, and East Midlands had dropped from feet warehouse, which will crethe bank hopes some will be relothe previous six months but was ate up to 3,300 jobs.” cated. still in positive rather than negaThe local output was even betThe office deals with NatWest tive territory. ter than the national one, he said. customers in England and Wales
He said: “Hiring intentions here Despite the large contribution and Royal Bank of Scotland cliremain above the national averof business and financial services, ents calling from north of the borage, andder.thisisdrivingdemandLondonisholdingup,Yorkshire for workers in the manufacturing and the Humber employer hiring ne former worker said he was sector and to fill call centre roles. confidence has swung from being told staff were in tears when the
“Our belief in the region’s the least upbeat to being one of announcement was made.