10.03.15
Public sector hiring intentions at ‘highest level in four years’
Public sector hiring intentions have risen to their highest level in four years, a poll of employers has suggested.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey revealed that with an outlook of +12%, hiring intentions in the public sector are double the national average for the second quarter of 2015.
The report – based on responses from 2,100 UK employers, 188 of which are in the public sector – also highlighted that the jobs outlook has jumped by 10 percentage points compared to the last quarter.
Mark Cahill, ManpowerGroup UK managing director, said conventional wisdom would be that with austerity cuts across government departments, public sector hiring would be in the doldrums. But the jobs outlook is actually at its most optimistic level for four years.
“There are several possible explanations for this bounce. First, staff shortages mean some organisations need to take on staff in order to maintain frontline services. Take the NHS, where a number of trusts are looking abroad for clinical workers amid a need for doctors and nurses,” he said.
“Equally, as the public sector looks to streamline its services, we’re seeing an increased focus on digitisation, which can lead to an increase in hiring for new skills.”
Looking at wider hiring intentions, the National Net Employment Outlook has remained the same quarter over quarter at +6%, indicating that the UK jobs market continues to plot a steadily optimistic course.
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