Every month, our experts comment on the biggest and most interesting recruitment news across the country.
In this edition, Deputy MD, Maggie Netherwood looks at the latest Jobs Report by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) as well as news that a government backed jobs website was advertising jobs to teenagers for as little as £2 an hour.
Perm and temp placements up as job vacancies rise sharply
Permanent placements continued to rise sharply in July, however this was its slowest rate since last October, according to the latest Jobs Report from the IHS Markit/Recruitment & Employment Confederation.
Temp billings also increased with the rate of growth picking up from last month’s recent low.
Recruitment agencies report candidate shortages had a negative impact on staff appointments, as the supply for both temp and perm candidates fell sharply.
Although placements are rising, the UK continues to suffer from a shortage of candidates which will in turn see employers starting to pay higher salaries to draw candidates away from their current roles into new positions.
To read the full press release the Jobs Report by IHS Markit/REC, click here.
£2 an hour jobs advertised on government website
It was reported on Sky News that a jobs website backed by welfare secretary Esther McVey was found to be advertising full-time work for as little as £2 an hour.
The vacancies are part of Esther McVey’s ‘Find A Job’ initiative to offer summer employment for young people, but has since come under fire from the public for offering payment below the minimum wage.
A spokesperson for the Department, Work and Pensions blamed "human error" for the listings and said they had been "removed straight away" after being flagged by a number of high profile newspapers.
It’s a shame that the government’s new initiative has fallen flat because of such a silly error however they now need put all the negative publicity behind them and focus on promoting these job finding services to young people throughout the rest of summer.
To read the full article on the ‘Find A Job’ initiative, click here.