CIPD survey suggests ‘measured approach’ to jobs as economy improves

Employers are in general unlikely to kick-start hiring bonanzas if the economic uptick continues, finds the latest CIPD/SuccessFactors Labour Market Outlook, available online, carried out by YouGov.
Mon, 11 Nov 2013Employers are in general unlikely to kick-start hiring bonanzas if the economic uptick continues, finds the latest CIPD/SuccessFactors Labour Market Outlook, available online, carried out by YouGov.

The finding comes after another Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) survey last month found the number of people searching for jobs was at a two-year high.

The survey of more than 1,000 HR professionals finds that just 17% of employers would increase their headcount by more than 2% if stable economic growth of 2% or more were achieved, while 20% say they would increase headcount but by no more than 2%, and 42% say they would keep staffing levels the same.

In the near term, the balance of firms looking to create jobs in the final three months of 2013 stands at +24%, up from 14% in the Q3 survey and +9% in Q2.

The survey also finds that optimism is at its highest for near-term recruitment in the manufacturing & production and retail sectors and in the South East, while employment looks set to contract in the North of England and the public sector.

CIPD labour market adviser Gerwyn Davies says: “With many employers retaining knowledge and skills during the past few tough years while also restructuring and recruiting for the future, they seem confident that they will be able to deliver their business objectives without needing to dramatically increase staffing over the medium term. Instead, many employers tell us they are focused on the need to raise productivity.”

CONTRACTS & DEALS: 12-16 MAY 2025

This week’s new contracts & deals include: Henley Business School, ServiceNow, The Curve Group, Think, UKG

Contracts 14 May 2025

APPOINTMENTS: 5-9 MAY 2025

This week’s appointments include: Zellis

People 6 May 2025

The rise and rise of agentic AI adoption

Agentic AI adoption is expected to grow 327% by 2027 as HR leaders plan to redeploy a quarter of their workforce, according to new research by Salesforce.

6 May 2025

Skill-based hiring can have ugly consequences – what can go wrong?

Skill-based hiring (SBH) is a hiring strategy that focuses on recruiting and selecting candidates based primarily on their demonstrated ability to perform each skill required for the position.

2 May 2025
Top