Jobs prospects lowest since 2004

Fri 8 Aug 2008 at 6:40 PM

Job prospects are now weaker than any time since 1984, an employer survey has revealed.

The CIPD/KPMG Labour Market Outlook (LMO) questioned 1,221 employers and found recruitment activity was lessening while the prospect of job losses was increasing.

"The jobs market has been one of the few bright spots in the UK economy, but cracks are appearing in the face of an increasingly uncertain economic outlook," commented John Philpott, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD's) chief economist.

One in four employers were expected to hire more workers in the coming quarter - the smallest third quarter prediction of recruitment activity for four years.

Andrew Smith, chief economist at KPMG, said: "The labour market is suddenly looking a lot less resilient."

Randstad employment bureau regularly recruits for call centre jobs in Liverpool, Cardiff, Leicester and Birmingham.