UK employers say they will continue to keep hiring throughout the spring, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. 

The research reveals that 21% of finance & business services employers plan to take on more staff in the quarter ahead and just 2% plan to make staff reductions. Confidence among employers in the manufacturing sector has increased notably. Manpower’s latest survey reveals that 18% of UK employers plan to increase their headcount over the second quarter, matching the same increase in hiring plans as reported in each of the last three quarters. Only 4% of employers plan to reduce staff numbers, and 76% of employers plan no change to their staffing numbers.

Mark Cahill, managing director of Manpower UK, says: “The upbeat hiring picture we saw at the start of the year looks set to continue. This is very much a period of stability – employer hiring confidence across industry sectors tends to reflect the national average, and employers in all UK regions are positive about their future hiring plans.”

Hiring confidence is also reflected among employers in the hotels & retail sector, leisure (hotel/restaurants) and High Street. Employers reporting figures at or above the national average include those in the construction, mining and utilities.

Employers in Wales and Yorkshire & Humberside are the most confident. Employers in Scotland and the north-east are more restrained in their plans, reflecting a readjustment after periods of strong optimism.

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