Doom and gloom - I don’t think so!

Doom and gloom - I don’t think so!

While doom and gloom still rules the headlines, recruitment consultancy Towngate Personnel is predicting the government will start talking about better news on the jobs front very soon.

“We’ve just seen a recruitment industry report that says the number of permanent placements are rising at their fastest rate for ten months – and temporary billings are at their highest since May 2007,” says Towngate’s managing director Richard Goles.

The latest Report On Jobs, a monthly survey of a panel of 400 personnel and recruitment consultants by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and professional services firm KPMG makes for encouraging reading according to Mr Goles.

“The report goes up to government and we find ministers will quote from it so I think we can expect them to be talking this one up, and that very much reflects the way we’ve seen our business developing this year.”

Towngate, which specialises in the hospitality industry, has identified several key area where there are shortages in staff.

“Good quality, experienced staff are always in short supply and this is shown in the Report On Jobs which highlights the key staff in demand in various sectors,” says Mr Goles.

“Bournemouth is very seasonal and we would usually expect business to start picking up at this time of year, but it has been noticeably busier of late.

“The temporary side has been very busy as well which is seen as a good omen coming out of recession as cautious employers will take on temporary staff to see how business goes before making permanent appointments.”

But Mr Goles did sound a note of caution pointing out that wage rises and salary increases are still very subdued.

“Inflation continues to rise and there are higher costs being passed on to us, so you have to wonder how much longer the situation can last.”