The employment status of candidates is unimportant for 84% of hiring managers, according to a survey from the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM).

However, 28% of employers are less likely to recruit someone they consider to be long-term unemployed.

Penny de Valk, chief executive of ILM, says: “Unemployment isn’t necessarily an indicator of ability, especially in the current climate when hundreds of talented individuals are being made redundant through no fault of their own. The good news is that most employers will treat unemployed applicants exactly the same as other candidates.”