The REC’s Report on Jobs, covering the period 12-25 March, showed the quickest decline in permanent and temporary staff placements since 2009, offering an insight into how the jobs market is performing during the pandemic.
Tom Hadley, Director of Policy at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation said:
“Everything has changed since these statistics were collected. The inevitable impact of Covid-19 on the UK Labour market can be seen in the REC’s Report on Jobs which shows the quickest drop in permanent and temporary staff placements since the global financial crash. The decline is particularly steep in sectors like retail, hospitality and construction. Demand in sectors like logistics and healthcare on the other hand have peaked and the recruitment industry is working with government and other bodies to place staff into key worker roles quickly and help the country through the coronavirus crisis.”
“What today’s ONS figures do show is that the fundamentals of our jobs market are sound. This will help us to bounce back post-crisis. How quickly this happens depends on the steps government takes now to protect businesses. The package of support on offer is considerable but it needs to be accessible to businesses quickly to manage the cashflow crisis and protect jobs.”
