Referendum uncertainty fails to dent Scottish employers’ confidence
10 June 2014
Hiring intentions in Scotland are at a seven-year high, despite question marks over the country’s future.
Tue, 10 Jun 2014
Hiring intentions in Scotland are at a seven-year high, despite question marks over the country’s future.
Even though companies such as Standard Life have announced plans to move some of its operations out of Scotland in the event of a ‘yes’ vote at the forthcoming referendum in just under 100 days time on Scottish independence, the latest Manpower Outlook survey records a positive hiring outlook of +8%. This is a jump of five percentage points on the previous quarter.
The hiring outlook figure is the difference between the percentage of employers intending to hire in the next quarter and the percentage of employers who plan to shed staff.
Emma Marriott, director of construction recruiter Contract Scotland, tells Recruiter that she has noticed a big improvement in employer confidence compared with last year. “Vacancies are 100% up on last year, while the company has already made nearly as many permanent placings as in the whole of 2013,” she says.
Marriott says that the construction industry that was so badly affected by the recession has now bounced back, with major infrastructure projects such as the Forth Rail Bridge and Shetland gas plant boosting the market.
Marriott says that while some companies have been commenting on the referendum [including BP chairman, Bob Dudley in February], it is “anyone’s guess” as to how a ‘yes’ vote would affect the Scottish economy and jobs market. However, she points out that many of the planned infrastructure projects are certain to go ahead irrespective of the vote.
Mark Cahill, ManpowerGroup UK managing director, says: “You’d think with a big question mark hanging over Scotland’s future, businesses would be hesitant to take on staff. We should also remember that this is a busy time for Scotland; the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup in Gleneagles could be triggering some of the confidence we’re seeing.
“Many of these roles will be temporary but based on our involvement with the London Olympics in 2012, we shouldn’t underestimate the impact that an upturn in attitude can have on the outlook of a region.”
Overall, the ManpowerGroup’s Outlook survey shows that UK employers’ hiring intentions are their most positive since before the recession, with ambitious expansion plans by retailers, such as Aldi, and Dixons Carphone Warehouse giving the jobs market a significant boost.
Even though companies such as Standard Life have announced plans to move some of its operations out of Scotland in the event of a ‘yes’ vote at the forthcoming referendum in just under 100 days time on Scottish independence, the latest Manpower Outlook survey records a positive hiring outlook of +8%. This is a jump of five percentage points on the previous quarter.
The hiring outlook figure is the difference between the percentage of employers intending to hire in the next quarter and the percentage of employers who plan to shed staff.
Emma Marriott, director of construction recruiter Contract Scotland, tells Recruiter that she has noticed a big improvement in employer confidence compared with last year. “Vacancies are 100% up on last year, while the company has already made nearly as many permanent placings as in the whole of 2013,” she says.
Marriott says that the construction industry that was so badly affected by the recession has now bounced back, with major infrastructure projects such as the Forth Rail Bridge and Shetland gas plant boosting the market.
Marriott says that while some companies have been commenting on the referendum [including BP chairman, Bob Dudley in February], it is “anyone’s guess” as to how a ‘yes’ vote would affect the Scottish economy and jobs market. However, she points out that many of the planned infrastructure projects are certain to go ahead irrespective of the vote.
Mark Cahill, ManpowerGroup UK managing director, says: “You’d think with a big question mark hanging over Scotland’s future, businesses would be hesitant to take on staff. We should also remember that this is a busy time for Scotland; the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup in Gleneagles could be triggering some of the confidence we’re seeing.
“Many of these roles will be temporary but based on our involvement with the London Olympics in 2012, we shouldn’t underestimate the impact that an upturn in attitude can have on the outlook of a region.”
Overall, the ManpowerGroup’s Outlook survey shows that UK employers’ hiring intentions are their most positive since before the recession, with ambitious expansion plans by retailers, such as Aldi, and Dixons Carphone Warehouse giving the jobs market a significant boost.
