UK jobs rebuffed Brexit woes in July, finds Robert Walters
The UK jobs market warmed up throughout July, as employers got back into action following the Brexit vote, research from one specialist recruitment consultancy has found.
Figures from Robert Walters, seen exclusively by City PM, found the number of vacancies advertised across the UK jumped by 21 per cent in July compared with June.
Employers were keen to seek out staff for HR and IT roles, as vacancies increased by 15 per cent in both sectors. Jobs on offer also increased by 15 per cent in London.
Legal eagles were also in hot demand, with job vacancies growing by five per cent.
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Calling the data "extremely encouraging", Chris Hickey, Robert Walters chief executive for UK, Middle East & Africa, said: "What we are seeing is employers implementing revised hiring strategies following the result of the vote.
"While many employers may not have expected the UK to vote to quit the European Union, they will still have determined hiring strategies for the contingency that the country did vote Leave.
"In the run up to the referendum, employers held off recruiting new staff until the result of the vote was clear. Now, those hiring strategies can be implemented leading a sharp spike in vacancies."
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However, Robert Walters' findings are at odds with other figures recently released. The report on jobs from Markit and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, which covered recruiters' observations for July, found 38 per cent had placed fewer people in jobs compared with the month before.
A separate survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Adecco found the proportion of employers who expected to grow their staff numbers over the next three months slipped to 36 per cent, down from 40 per cent when the same question was asked before June's Leave decision was revealed.
Recent numbers from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found the unemployment rate for April to June held steady at its post-recession low of 4.9 per cent, even though some had predicted the rate would increase, as employers became cautious in the run up to the referendum.