Reacting to the publication, today, of the latest UK employment figures, which have seen unemployment levels fall by 49,000, Bernard Brown, partner and head of business services at KPMG, says:
"Today’s data is yet another sign of recovery in the jobs market, and it is being driven primarily by an increasing confidence in the private sector, where manufacturing and services have seen an uptick in demand. Various data sources show that in pockets around the country we are also seeing greater numbers securing permanent jobs across a variety of sectors, but progress is slow and employment figures are masked, to some degree, by the high numbers employed in part-time roles.
“Yet, whilst any increase in employment is a good thing, we should not forget the plight of the long-term unemployed and younger members of society, who are struggling to break into the workforce. Their inability to find roles is damaging, both for individual morale and for organisational capability because UK organisations are still suffering from skills shortages that affect performance, productivity and profitability.
“Whether its specialist roles in core sectors, such as engineering or energy, the question that everyone wants an answer to is this: ‘when will confidence return sufficiently so that recruiting is seen as a necessity not a luxury?’. Until we have an answer, we cannot afford to be lulled into a false sense of security, or determine whether the latest figures are setting a trend which will eventually be viewed as the first sign of sustainable growth.”
Ends
Media enquiries:
Mike Petrook, KPMG Press Office
020 7311 5271 (t), 07917 384 576 (m) or mike.petrook@kpmg.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
About KPMG
KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and operates from 22 offices across the UK with over 11,000 partners and staff. The UK firm recorded a turnover of £1.7 billion in the year ended September 2011. KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax, and Advisory services. We operate in 152 countries and have 145,000 professionals working in member firms around the world. The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity. KPMG International provides no client services.
