While employers remain concerned about the overall outlook for the UK economy, The REC’s latest JobsOutlook report found that hiring intentions rose in the last quarter. Recruiters know that firms are better prepared this time around and that online interviewing, testing, and selection can be delivered well. Seven in ten (69%) employers who hire temporary agency workers highlighted that agency workers are important for short-term access to key skills.

Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said: “After the record lows of the spring, a return to growing confidence is great news. This reflects what we were hearing from business leaders up and down the country over recent months, and our other data shows that it has fed through to real-world increases in recruitment. The big test now is ensuring this jobs recovery can continue as businesses have to keep working online in the face of a renewed rise in Coronavirus cases.”

While hiring confidence is up, the closure of the furlough scheme on 31 October and its replacement with a Jobs Support Scheme is expected to increase redundancies. Lloyds announced last month that they would be cutting 865 jobs as part of their plans to restructure. The group has also decided to keep the majority of its 65,000 staff working remotely in line with guidance from the government.

As the countdown to Christmas begins, the pandemic has meant that increased numbers of people are doing their Christmas shopping online with significant requirement for more delivery staff. Royal Mail is looking to fill a record number of temporary seasonal jobs with 33,000 additional workers for the Christmas period - two-thirds more than usual. The temporary workers will mainly work in sorting offices, delivery vans and data centres. The delivery firm Yodel is also gearing up to meet demand by adding 2,500 self-employed drivers and nearly 500 staff in its sorting centres across the UK.

The strongest professional sector for hiring continues to be IT as businesses migrate online and seek to improve their agility. This coincides with the arrival of 5G, which was already increasing the need for core telecommunications, network and architecture skills. Positions such as Network Architects and Engineers are gaining in popularity, with more people working remotely. Cloud technology is also another area of tech to see hiring uplift as more companies migrate from traditional server environments.

Here are some of the companies that are advertising 50 or more UK roles on their websites according to LinkedIn. (16^th October)

If you’re looking for a new role why not brush up on your digital skills as Covid-19 continues to shape the future of work. Umbrella Exchange have access to a wide range of hassle-free services that can help you with setting up a limited company or finding the right umbrella company for you. To talk to a member of our team, call: 0203 393 3881