UK Skills Research Report
During the last quarter of 2008, Randstad commissioned IPSOS Mori to undertake some research looking at the impact of the downturn on the UK labour market and, in particular, how this affects the long-standing skills crisis.
The responses reveal a range of interesting findings including:-
- Headcount reductions have been widespread since August, but cuts will be deeper in the next six months. Organisations plan to go beyond redundancies to cut their HR costs.
- The labour market is probably better geared to recovery than it was during the last UK recession.
- The economic downturn has been a key cause of eradicating skills shortages for 40% of organisations but
- skills shortages are still a problem and will get worse for a third of organisations,
- skills shortages are still expected to be a long-term issue for the UK.
- Organisations will focus internally to resolve their skills problems.
- Continental Europe is the best source of skills outside the UK.
IPSOS Mori surveyed human resources directors and managers of 355 UK organisations (all with more than 100 employees).
About Randstad
Since acquiring Vedior in 2008, the Randstad Group is the second largest HR services provider in the world with over 34,000 employees working from 5,400 locations in 53 countries. Randstad and Vedior generated a combined revenue of € 17.6 billion in 2007.
In the UK Randstad is a top three recruitment and HR services company that operates 38 established brands employing over 3,000 people across 400 locations. Randstad offers general staffing and in-house services, whilst the professional brands hold leading market positions in such sectors as IT, education, healthcare, accounting and engineering.
For a full version of the report, please download the pdf here. 
The accompanying press release can be downloaded here.
We very much hope that the report will be of use to you and, in the meantime if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Rachael Moss
01582 544100
r.moss@randstadukholding.co.uk
Cubitt Consulting
Simon Barker
020 7367 5119 / 07866 314331 simon.barker@cubitt.com
Sarah Decottegnie
020 7367 5128 / 07794 421514 sarah.decottegnie@cubitt.com
