The outlook for jobs in the East of England remains positive, according to the latest survey by recruitment specialist Manpower, with skills shortages making it harder for some employers to find the right people for some roles.
And Manpower warns in its new quarterly report that a vote for Britain to leave the European Union could make it more difficult for UK employers to attract “the brightest and best” from overseas.
Current hiring intentions among employers in the East of England remain unchanged compared with the previous quarter with net employment outlook figure of plus 9%, well above the UK average of plus 5%.
Krissie Davies, operations director at Manpower, said: “There is real optimism in the region, and it’s great to see that we’re once again above the national average. However, employers are continuing to see a shortage of top quality applicants across both temporary and permanent roles.”
Manpower says that, although the positive UK net employment outlook figure shows there is still a strong demand for additional workers, the reading has now fallen by 1% for two successive quarters, suggesting that hiring intentions nationally have been hit by uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the EU referendum.
James Hick, Manpower Group Solutions managing director, said: “Britain today is a magnet for international talent, from finance to tech to the NHS. Leaving the EU will make it much more difficult to attract the brightest and best. It will mean more bureaucracy for those coming to Britain and salaries could be less competitive, especially if sterling falls.”
However, John Longworth, chairman of the Vote Leave business council, said the current high level of employment in the UK, despite it being “shackled” to the low-growth eurozone, “shows just how strong the British economy would be if we were free to negotiate our own trade deals with fast growing economies such as the USA and China”.
He added: “After we Vote Leave we can create an Australian-based points system, which is both fairer and better for the British economy. The leader of the IN campaign, Stuart Rose, said himself that wages will rise when we Vote Leave.”
• Looking for a new job? See vacancies in Suffolk here
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