Tue, 1 May 2012

There has been an increase of 33% in temporary hiring in the UK in Q1 2012 compared with the final quarter of 2011, says a report from temporary and contract recruiter Venn Group.

This has been buoyed by three core sectors – financial services, public sector and commerce and industry, according to the firm.

It also shows that the North-West region has seen the largest increase in hiring, 61% up over the quarter, with the Midland and London the second and third strongest at 59% and 36% apiece. Daily rates across all sectors are highest in London (£260), followed by the South-West (£254), but hourly rates were highest in the Central and Southern region at £23, ahead of London in £17.

Robert Bowyer, director of Venn Group, says cost-conscious public sector organisations are increasingly that “turning to temporary recruitment strategies”, with interim HR and IT staff, in particular in the NHS, seeing particularly strong demand.

Bowyer adds: “In the first quarter of 2012 the temporary market appears to be faring very well. And perhaps what is particularly positive about our report is that it confirms that the impact of the Agency Workers Regulations has had a very limited effect on the use of temporary workers.”