UK job vacancies shrink for first time since 2009 as coronavirus hits employers

LONDON (ITNTV) - British employers’ demand for staff plummeted in March with job vacancies contracting for the first time in nearly 11 years as the coronavirus pandemic brought hiring activity to a halt, a survey of recruiters showed on Wednesday.

FILE PHOTO: People walk through the Canary Wharf financial district of London, Britain, December 7, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo

A measure of vacancies compiled by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and accountants KPMG, fell to 47.8 in March, below the no-change 50 level for the first time since September 2009.

The fall in the index — which is monitored by the Bank of England — from 56 in February was the biggest monthly decline since the series began in October 1997.

Hiring activity took a nosedive, as permanent job placements fell at the fastest rate since February 2009. London was the hardest hit of England’s regions, falling to 20.3 in March from 47.5 in February.

Temporary staff billings fell at the fastest rate since March 2009.

“The coronavirus pandemic has put the labour market on pause,” said Neil Carberry, chief executive of the REC.

As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the country, Britain’s shops, pubs, restaurants and businesses remain closed.

Recruiters said uncertainty around the duration of the government-ordered shutdown led firms to cancel or postpone recruitment plans.

However, the REC survey showed an uptick in demand for permanent and temporary staff in nursing, medical and care as the country tries to cope with a surge in demand in the healthcare sector.

The economic hit from coronavirus has been widespread. British consumer confidence fell by the most in over 45 years while new car sales and construction activity dropped faster than during the 2008-09 financial crisis.

A poll by YouGov on April 5 found that more than one in 20 people in Britain had lost their job due to the outbreak. A further 13% of respondents said their hours or pay had been cut.

Looking ahead, the REC’s Carberry said firms in sectors such as recruitment and hospitality needed to be able to access government aid more quickly in order to stop the short-term disruption becoming longer-term economic depression.

A survey published earlier on Wednesday showed only a fraction of companies had successfully applied for the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and grants for small businesses.

Comments

European Union will close its borders to all non-essential travel to fight coronavirus

Madrid (ITNTV) The European Union will close its borders to all non-essential travel as it attempts to contain the ongoing spread of the coronavirus on the continent. "The less travel, the more we can contain the virus," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday following a video conference between G7 leaders. She appeared confident that the European Council would sign off on the restriction in a Tuesday vote. The bloc's member states imposed aggressive measures on Monday, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) said Europe was at the epicenter of the pandemic. French President Emmanuel Macron declared "war" on the virus during a national address on Monday, banning all social events across the country -- including family gatherings. Macron said those who have gathered in public places in recent days have not been respecting previous measures to limit the outbreak's spread in France, which as of Monday had 5,380 con...

PhD positions: In Institute of Biochemistry, Jena University Hospital - Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany

PhD positions: In Institute of Biochemistry, Jena University Hospital - Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany 🇩🇪 . Subjects: Neurobiology / Imaging Description: 1 PhD position in Neurobiology / Imaging Prof. Britta Qualmann, Inst. of Biochem. I, UKJ - Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany Prof. Christian Geis, Section of Translat. Neuroimmunol., Dept. Neurol., UKJ We seek for a productive addition to our research team in a collaborative project. We plan to study pathomechanisms of synaptic changes underlying autoimmune disorders of the central nervous system applying super-resolution microscopy. The Geis lab examines immune-mediated changes of synapses by interactions with pathogenic human antibodies against neuronal proteins. Short- and long-term effects on neuronal networks are analyzed using electrophysiological and various microscopy methods. The Qualmann lab is an internationally well-known lab that focusses on proteins with the power to s...

80 pct of life stopped in Turkey due to outbreak, says interior minister

Turkish citizens, especially those living in metropolises, have been abiding by the “social isolation” principles laid out by the government, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has said, adding that almost 80 percent of life “stopped” in Turkey . “Up until now, just our ministry issued 38 circulars, 17 of which concern the borders. Many high-level precautions have been taken. Right now, 80 percent of life stopped in Turkey,” Soylu said on March 26 in an interview with a private broadcaster. Soylu also provided updated figures for passenger traffic. He said that there is a 73 percent decline in inter-city bus services, adding that these services can also be suspended if needed. On intra-city traffic, Soylu said that there has been an 80 percent decline. This figure was 65 percent according to another interview the minister held on March 25. The government has four cruxes it predicates on when taking measures against the spread of the novel coronaviru...

Infotainment News TV

Search This Blog