Professional recruitment firms in the UK reported that the number of candidates securing permanent roles in April 2018 increased by 9% year-on-year, according to new survey data from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies.

APSCo’s research found notable variations between the trade association’s core sector groups in terms of hiring activity. While permanent placements within financial services and IT increased by 19% and 10% respectively over the 12-month period, the number of marketing professionals securing permanent roles during this time slipped by 10%.

Meanwhile, vacancies for permanent staff, fell by 2%, year-on-year, in April.

APSCo’s data also showed that the number of contract professionals out on assignment in the finance sector rose 1% over the same period.

Vacancies for permanent finance professionals during this time grew by 10% while demand for contractors within financial services rose 20%.

Placements within the engineering sector, meanwhile, remained steady, increasing by 0.2% year-on-year. Demand for engineering professionals to work on both a permanent and contract basis dipped by 7% in the year to April 2018 while the number of contractors out on assignment in the sector also decreased by 7% during this period.

John Nurthen, Staffing Industry Analysts’ Executive Director of Global Research commented on APSCo’s data, “The continued improvement in permanent hiring for professional staff is unsurprising set against a positive UK employment rate of 1.2% for the first quarter of 2018. While this is good news, it does mask some challenges in the labour market such as declining public sector employment and severe skills shortages for highly skilled professionals.” 

Despite ongoing demand for finance interims, overall contract vacancies dipped by 9% year-on-year in April 2018. The overall number of contractors out on assignment, meanwhile, dipped by 17% during the same period. APSCo stated that this can largely be attributed to a 35% year-on-year fall in IT professionals working on a contract basis during this time.  

APSCo’s figures also found that median salaries across all professional sectors dipped by 1.1% year-on-year. The IT and insurance recorded uplifts of 3.4% and 2.9%, respectively.

Ann Swain, Chief Executive of APSCo commented, “While permanent professional hiring activity remains strong across the board, there is no escaping the influence that Brexit uncertainty continues to hold over the sectors our members recruit into. While financial services is clearly emerging from the period of hesitancy it found itself in post-referendum, it now seems the engineering sector may be putting the brakes on hiring until there is more clarity around trade borders.”

“The strength in permanent recruitment levels is also offset against a significant dip in contractor demand,” Swain said. “And, with the publication of the long-awaited consultation on off-payroll working in the private sector just published, this trend looks set to continue.”