Rates of growth in both permanent and temporary placements eased in September, according to the latest ‘Report on Jobs’ from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG.

The report shows expansion rates of both permanent and temporary/contract staff appointments fell in September and were the weakest for just over two years.  

Meanwhile, overall demand for staff increased at the slowest pace since October 2009, with weaker demand for both permanent and temporary/contract workers. 

REC chief executive Kevin Green says: “Employers are being very cautious about hiring at the moment. This has been exacerbated by weak consumer confidence, which leads to people staying in their current role rather than changing jobs.

“The private sector is still producing new jobs but not in the quantity needed to offset the job losses in the public sector. These factors combined have resulted in the slowest increases in both permanent and temporary billings since August 2009. It’s vital that we look at ways to boost these numbers, particularly for young people who continue to be disproportionately affected by unemployment.”