Less than one in four employers (23%) plan to add to their permanent headcount in the next quarter, according to April’s JobOutlook from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC).

The survey also reveals in the next three months 64% plan to maintain headcount.

Meanwhile, 93% say they will either keep their use of agency workers at existing levels or grow them in the short term with another 81% doing the same longer term.

REC director of research Roger Tweedy says: “The current figures really do show we have a transitional jobs market borne out last week by the slight decrease in the unemployment figures. Confidence among employers about their hiring intentions have stayed the same level as last month at the same time as their reliance on temporary and contract staff is still strong though easing slightly.

“The long-term prospects for the jobs market ties in with forecasts that private sector investment and trade will start accelerating in the second half of the year. However, until then, our jobs market will show signs of volatility until the infrastructure for private sector growth is in place to enable more jobs to be created within it.”