KPMG and REC have recently released the UK Report on Jobs: National. This report looks at both the positive and negative trends in recruitment for all sectors, including Social Care, and how this relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please find below some of the key highlights from the report:

• There has been a modest reduction in permanent placements
• Temp billings are continuing to rise sharply
• Redundancies lead to a further marked rise in candidate numbers
• Permanent Placement Index down from 48.8 in October to 48.2 in November
• Temporary Billings Index down from 56.4 in October to 56.1 in November

Commenting on the latest survey results, James Stewart, Vice Chair at KPMG, said: “The continual reluctance to recruit permanent staff and a further marked increase in people available for work, leaves the UK jobs market teetering on a precipice. However, looking ahead, there is reason for optimism with the welcome vaccine news, although challenges remain as the recent lockdown, new tier system and impending Brexit means it will be a long road back to the UK jobs market seen pre-Covid.”

Also commenting is Neil Carberry, CEO of the REC: “With the welcome vaccine news, we must remember not to get complacent – many firms will still need support in the coming months as the economy gradually recovers. This goes for workers too and, as recruiters are the jobs experts, an even closer partnership with the industry will help Government bring people back into work”

This report allows you to benchmark your business against the backdrop of the wider economy. I hope you find it useful to help you measure and understand where Social Care as a sector sits against the wider picture.

How can we help?

We want to let you know that we are here to support you, and if you would like to discuss the findings in the above report, or about how we can collaborate, please let us know. To get in touch, email [email protected]

As a specialist, family-run recruitment business, we provide a proactive and consultative approach to recruitment. We help organisations to target issues such as continuity of staffing, reducing spend where you have a high volume of agency usage and supporting those who have specific talent requirements or are in hard to fill locations. We can help with any immediate staffing requirements or longer-term recruitment projects to ultimately save you time and money on agency spend. Click here to see what our clients say about how we have supported them throughout the pandemic.