The most recent REC “Jobs Outlook” survey

continues to show increasing demand for temporary and permanent staff as well as a high level of satisfaction with agencies used over the past 2 years.

There is a lot of talk of “spare capacity” and “productivity gaps” in the national press, usually by economists who are looking at ONS data. Interestingly the REC survey indicates that over a third (36%) of employers have no spare capacity.

40% of employers stated that “things are starting to pick up” compared to only 27% a year ago. Given the lack of spare capacity and the increase in workload it is no surprise that a net balance of 85% of employers plan to increase their permanent workforce in the short term.

Temporary workers are often viewed as a short term fix to cover peak/seasonal workloads for unskilled/semi-skilled roles. There is no doubt that this type of work accounts for a large proportion of temporary work, but 79% of employers use agency workers to provide short term access to key strategic skills.

91% of employers are satisfied with the agencies they have used in the past two years and 93% are satisfied with the quality of candidates provided.

So, there are plenty of reasons to bear KHR in mind. Whether it is a temporary worker to fill a strategic need or provide seasonal cover, whether you are one of the 85% who is increasing permanent headcount or whether you are among the 9% or 7% who are dissatisfied with the agencies they have used please get in touch.

We look forward to working with you.