Contractor appointments see strong expansion

Contractor appointments see strong expansion, says report

The number of temporary appointments, including UK contracting positions, grew strongly last month, the latest figures from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG Report on Jobs shows.

Both permanent staff placements and temporary or contractor billings rose at faster rates in January compared to the previous months.

Temporary or contractor billings rose at their fastest rate in seven months, the report shows.

Overall demand for new staff also grew, while hourly rates of pay for short-term workers slipped slightly.

Commenting on the figures, Kevin Green, chief executive of the REC, said: "As anticipated, this month's Report on Jobs shows that economic activity accelerated in January with employers increasing their hiring, albeit not in large numbers."

He added that employer confidence is on the rise, which he described as "promising news".

Recruitment freeze at Merseyside

Merseyside Police Authority has agreed a recruitment freeze until the end of the financial year, which could see the force with around 240 less officer posts.


Having been ordered to cut £4.1 million from its budget, Merseyside Police will now not consider recruiting until after the 2010/11 financial year. Already it has not replaced around 60 officers who left the force between April and June this year.

The last intake of new officers was in March 2010 and with the force training programme on hold, around 240 officer posts are expected to be lost. Merseyside Police Authority is waiting for the outcome of the Government’s comprehensive spending review before making a decision on future recruitment.

It will be published in October, but it is not thought forces will know what this means for their budgets until December. A 25 per cent cut over four years is anticipated.

Paul Johnson, chief executive of Merseyside Police Authority, said it would be “irresponsible” to restart the recruitment programme until they know the outcome of the Government’s review.

Also this week, Gloucestershire Constabulary announced its decision to postpone further intakes until after the comprehensive spending review. A further 12 recruits had been planned for 2010/11.

Assistant Chief Constable Ivor Twydell said: “It is obviously very disappointing news for both those affected and the constabulary. We share their frustration in not knowing exactly what the future will bring.

“It’s not a decision we have taken lightly. Unfortunately, it reflects a financial situation being felt across the country. We are as keen as anyone else to continue to maintain a steady stream of high-calibre recruits into Gloucestershire Constabulary, but it simply wouldn’t be prudent until we have a better idea of what the long-term financial landscape looks like for us.”

Source: www.policeprofessional.com

Corporate finance recruitment to see steady rise

Employers are reporting improved financial statuses and a slight rise in their recruitment drives, according to new figures.


Data from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and Grant Thornton may interest those looking for corporate finance jobs as it indicated firms across Britain are beginning to emerge from the downturn.

"Businesses have reported the smallest annual fall in staff numbers since [quarter one of] 2009, expecting the number of employees to increase by 1.1 per cent in the next year," the ICAEW stated.


The news followed a recent announcement by the Office for National Statistics that the UK employment rate went up by 0.3 per cent in the three months to June 2010.

Companies are suggesting the upturn in the economy is making it harder to retain their staff members, the ICAEW went on to say, which is a result of more vacancies coming on to the market.

Source: www.integralsearch.co.uk