“The figures suggest that recent talk of an employment slowdown may be premature. Coupled with historically low levels of unemployment and economic inactivity, the welcome supply of more non-EU-born workers in employment has eased recruitment difficulties for some employers and boosted employment growth. In particular, the healthcare sector has benefitted because roles such as nursing are exempt from the salary requirements that other occupations face.
“While labour demand still appears relatively strong, we should be cautious about the medium-term prospects for the UK labour market given the continued fall in vacancies and higher redundancy activity.”
Davies adds:
“In response, it’s timely to see many political parties prioritising adult education and training, especially given the overall decline in adult learning and the number of apprenticeships. At the same time, it is vital that employers make even greater effort to invest more in their own workforce.”
