The head of resourcing at accountancy firm Grant Thornton is calling on Chancellor George Osborne to make it easier for employers to hire staff.

Samantha O’Byrne told Recruiter: “Many UK businesses have been facing a tough time with declining consumer confidence and pressures from looming increases in inflation and interest rates. To stimulate and encourage a job-generating market, the government needs to ensure it introduces and implements policies that makes it easier for businesses, particularly SMEs, to take on new people.

“Last autumn, the government introduced a National Insurance Contribution (NIC) holiday for businesses in the regions for the first 10 hires in their first year. We believe the labour market would benefit from making this more wide reaching and include businesses in London and the South-East as well.

“We would also welcome the introduction of a NIC holiday for companies employing staff who have previously been unemployed to ensure and support more people moving into employment.”