Public Sector Hiring Set to Ease
17/11/2005

UK Hiring rates in the public sector are dipping in the final months of 2005, but remain in line with the national average, according to Manpower, the UK’s leading workforce management company.

Manpower’s Employment Outlook Survey (MEOS), a quarterly report into hiring intentions, shows that the balance of public sector employers looking to take on more staff for the end of the year is +8%, - the same total as the average national outlook across all sectors. This represents a decline of seven percentage points - the public sector’s balance during the past two successive quarters.

Peter Dixon, head of public sector business at Manpower, said: "This drop in recruitment is largely due to two factors. Firstly, in the wake of the Gershon Review, the entire public sector is focussing on efficiency. Secondly, this is the third quarter of the government’s year, and managers are keenly aware of their budgets."

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey provides a forecast of employer hiring intentions for the current quarter: September to December 2005. 2,100 UK employers were surveyed in the UK and over 45,000 employers in 23 countries globally.

Peter continued: "Although there has been a drop in hiring confidence, this remains a strong result, as the sector looks to continue expanding, albeit at a slower rate. Furthermore, we would expect the net balance to rise in the first quarter of next year. January to March represents the final quarter of the financial year, when the public sector spends its remaining budget - and this is likely to translate into more hiring."
www.manpower.co.uk

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