ONS Labour statistics: Expert warns employers to be prepared for a hiring bounce back

Responding to the new labour market data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Janine Chidlow, Managing Director at WilsonHCG, commented:



“The latest statistics echo the trends we have seen in recent months with vacancies falling, however, the timeframe of the ONS labour market data falls within the months prior to the election. With a level of uncertainty on the cards during that time, it is no surprise that vacancies dropped. With summer underway these figures are likely to remain low, but we are seeing signs of growing optimism that could create a significant uptick in recruitment activity come September. Indeed, our data is showing a steady increase in job availability in the US, with June’s figures standing at a six-month high. Given that the US market often acts as a bellwether for the UK, we could soon see a change of fortunes in recruitment fairly soon. Employers need to be prepared to potentially increase headcount at speed at a time when others are doing the same.



“The next few weeks will be a prime time for organisations to step back and assess what skills already exist within their businesses, where there are potential gaps that could limit productivity in the second half of the year and how they can attain these skills. I expect that there will be an interim focus on bringing talent in externally, but with skills shortages rife in a number of remits already, it will be crucial for employers to consider how they can grow and develop certain attributes within their existing talent pools.



“It is encouraging to see that economic inactivity rates fell on the quarter in the latest data, but the fact that this remains higher than estimates from a year ago suggests that more action is needed to encourage those that are able to work, back into employment.”





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