According to the most recent CIPD Labour Market Outlook (LMO), the number of employers planning to hire more staff has risen dramatically in this year's second quarter.<br><br>
The LMO also shows that the UK’s net employment balance has increased to the highest score since autumn 2007.  The balance currently stands at +26, up from last winter's +16.<br><br>
Developments in private sector services are likely to be behind the renewed employer confidence and their willingness to continue hiring throughout the year.  The private sector has grown by 17 points in the last few months and although employment in the public sector is still negative at -12, this is the least negative score recorded since autumn 2009.<br><br>
Despite the economic growth and the prospect of jobs in the private sector, the public sector is still restrained by spending cuts and skills shortages.  It is this shortage of skills that is inspiring the government and many private companies to invest in education programmes and extended training for hopeful job seekers.<br><br>
The LMO report also suggests that more businesses than ever before are planning to invest in their talent pipeline, with 31% indicating that they intend to hire more graduates and 22% focusing on hiring apprentices.<br><br>
Gerwyn Davies, a labour market adviser at CIPD, says that “investing in your workforce is not all about recruitment.”  He added: “Employers should also be thinking about how they design job roles that will meet the changing needs of the business and upskill existing staff to fill those roles.”