The downturn of UK manufacturing slowed in April, but further substantial job losses were recorded, according to the latest data from the CIPS/Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index.
The seasonally adjusted index rose to 42.9 (with 50 equaling no change) in April. The figure indicates the 13th consecutive month of contraction, but moved further away from February’s record low.
Swine flu on the increase
Almost a third (29%) of UK firms have already, or plan to impose, pay freezes, while the same percentage are reviewing the performance-related bonuses they offer to staff.
Dean Kelly
The government is to put an extra £58m into the recruitment and retention of social workers, following the death of Baby P.
The Department of Health has responded to concerns that recruiters have been left in the dark (recruiter.co.uk, 13 May) following the news that NHS PASA (Purchasing & Supply Agency) is to close within the next 12 months.
A DoH spokesperson told Recruiter: “There is no change to existing recruitment framework policy - NHS PASA is continuing with business as usual.”
Recruiters will be required to take a more hands-on approach, according to a new survey from jobs board jobsite.co.uk.
The report predicts that the candidate pool will become more fragmented, while the balance of power will move towards the jobseeker, which will result in a more tailored approach to recruitment.
Richard Lambert
The number of firms being chased for bad debt is increasing at an unprecedented rate, according to debt recovery firm Lovetts.
Lovetts says the total value of claims being taken through the courts by Lovetts on behalf of its clients in Q1 this year up 97% on Q1 2008, while the average claim was up 60%.
Consulting and real estate advertised vacancies continue to decline, while there has been a rise in the number of public sector and medicines posts in the past six months, claims management jobsite Experteer.co.uk’s jobs monitor.
Multi-sector recruiter Hays has entered the 2009 Global Corporate Challenge (GCC), in support of the largest employer health initiative in the world.