UK Employers Offering More Jobs, Says KPMG Study

By Michael Foster, Big4.com Blogger

KPMG has released its latest employment figures for the UK in conjunction with the British Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

The study concluded that the amount of positions available went up throughout the United Kingdom, although the rate of increase has slowed throughout the country. In England, all regions except the Midlands saw a month-on-month decrease in the rate of new positions.

The largest decline was in London, followed by the north. In both regions, the increase in the amount of available positions is falling as the British economy continues to fight headwinds that may result in a long recession for the economy.

REC chief Kevin Green said that job growth of any kind is still promising “in the face of adversity so far this year.” At the beginning of 2012, most economists agreed that unemployment would increase and GDP would decrease for Britain, as their major trading partners across the English channel faced the ongoing euro crisis.

Still, Green says that the study demonstrats that “employers are still hiring,” adding that “the number of vacancies has grown, but fragile confidence means they are taking longer to make decisions about appointments and the whole process of recruiting is slowing down.”

Meanwhile, KPMG Partner Bernard Brown showed concern about eh quality of jobs being offered. “Given that the latest data shows that the sharpest drop in permanent placements was registered in London, questions remain around how businesses in the capital will look to grow and expand after the summer lull in activity,” he said.

He also added that the impact of the Olympics on employment remains unclear, and requires further analysis.