Employer confidence in economy and hiring improves

Following some signs of improving demand in the recent REC/KPMG Report on Jobs and the REC/Lightcast Labour Market Tracker jobs data, the latest Jobs Outlook survey of over 700 employers by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and Whitestone Insight shows further signs of improvement.

The past 12 months have been volatile for employers. It has been marked by low economic growth, tax increases and high supply chain and energy costs as well as unexpected tariffs. And to cap it off additional uncertainty about staffing due to the upcoming Employment Rights Bill.

But the latest JobsOutlook survey of 703 employers suggests a tentative turnaround is possible this year. Employer confidence in the UK economy is 15 percentage points better than last quarter, returning to the rising two-year trend after a negative blip in Spring 2025. Similarly, employers’ confidence in making investment and hiring decisions is up 12 percentage points.

Read more at FE News.