Thursday 11th February, 2016

According a survey from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), professional recruitment firms had 4% more vacancies on their books in December 2015 than the same period the previous year.

This is in line with the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which reveals that overall employment levels increased by 588,000 year-on-year in the three months to November.

The research by APSCo reveals permanent vacancies across finance & accounting and media & marketing, were up year-on-year (16% and 8% respectively). Vacancies in engineering and IT dipped (by 14% and 4% respectively).

John Nurthen, Executive Director, Global Research for Staffing Industry Analysts, which compiles the report for APSCo, comments:

"With an employment rate the highest since records began in 1971 and a government imposed cap on sponsored skilled workers from abroad in place, employers are clearly faced with a challenging environment to source the skills they need to grow their businesses. While forecasters are still predicting positive economic growth this year, these skills shortages pose a clear risk to UK prosperity."

APSCo’s figures also reveal that average salaries across all professional sectors continue to climb steadily, increasing by 5.5% year-on-year. This rise in remuneration within the professional arena exceeds the national increase in salaries as reported by the ONS which found that average earnings grew at an annual rate of 1.9% in the three months to November 2015.