Comment on today's ONS employment figures from Adecco and Taleo

Comment on today's ONS employment figures from Adecco and HR software provider Taleo:

Chris Phillips, VP EMEA Marketing, Taleo:

"It should not come as a shock that unemployment levels have risen for the second consecutive month. As we face further uncertainty in the economy, this trend could extend well beyond the summer as employers take a cautious approach to hiring new staff. However, it is not all bad news for today's job seekers. While new opportunities may be limited, there are still roles out there for strong candidates. In fact, we are urging employers not to become complacent about talent management - they must identify and develop the top talent within their organisation, or risk losing them.

"Many employees who have sat tight over recent years, with limited reward in terms of salary increase or promotion, are now getting itchy feet and are seeking new opportunities. Regardless of what is happening in the economy, if employers fail to take action and nurture their existing talent, they risk losing the very best of their people to competitors, and limiting the growth of their business."

Steven Kirkpatrick, Managing Director, Adecco:

"This time of year is traditionally slow for the jobs market, so it is no surprise to see that employment levels have fallen. We've seen this across the board, although some sectors have fared better than others, with engineering and construction remaining amongst the most active sectors, while banking, insurance and finance have seen the sharpest fall. Only time will tell whether this is entirely because of the seasonal flux or whether other elements are influencing the market.

"It is crucial, however, that the temporary market continues to thrive, as this has been shoring up the jobs market as a whole for some months now. It's essential that companies are not deterred from hiring temporary staff by the introduction of AWR in October. Despite media coverage to the contrary, we are confident that as long as businesses plan ahead and ensure that they are prepared, the new legislation should not have any negative impact on them."