23 Aug 2017
A survey carried out by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has suggested that employer confidence in the UK economy has moved into negative territory as a result of ongoing Brexit and political uncertainties.
The REC’s JobsOutlook Survey, which polled 601 UK employers, revealed that employer confidence has fallen from +6% in July to -3 this month.
It found that 31% of employers expect the UK economy to worsen, and just 28% expect it to improve.
In addition, 40% of employers interviewed stated that they have ‘no spare capacity’, and would need to recruit to meet additional demand. Many of those surveyed also expressed concerns over a ‘lack of appropriate candidates’ for construction jobs.
Kevin Green, Chief Executive of the REC, stated: ‘Businesses are continuing to hire to meet demand, but issues like access to labour, Brexit negotiations and political uncertainty are creating nervousness.
‘The jobs market is in a good place but employers will only continue to hire and invest if they feel assured about the future.’