Employment Rates and Pay
| Those claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance (July 2007) | |
| Buckinghamshire | 1% |
| Reading | 2% |
| South East | 1.6% |
| England | 2.6% |
| Average gross weekly pay of full-time workers for 2006 | |
| High Wycombe | £493.60 |
| Reading | £516.40 |
| South East | £470.10 |
| Great Britain | £448.60 |
| Average hourly pay for 2006 | |
| High Wycombe | £12.21 |
| Reading | £13.48 |
| South East | £11.82 |
| Great Britain | £11.24 |
Buckinghamshire & Berkshire
Buckinghamshire is noted for its enterprise culture with a higher than the national average number of new businesses starting up each year. The key areas of growth have been in financial and business services and there is a strong public services and health sector. Manufacturing continues to be an important sector for the county, employing more than one in ten workers. Buckinghamshire is home to many international companies, all of whom have chosen to locate there because of its natural environment, education, quality housing, diverse workforce, low unemployment and access to motorways, airports and railways.
The Thames Valley continues to be the first choice location outside of London for overseas business, and offers investors some of the most high profile, prime quality office locations in the South East -supported by an innovative and talented workforce.
Reading has recently been named as one of the top five cities in which to locate a business, according to Real Estate Consultancy, Cushman & Wakefield. It has also come in the top seven cities across the UK for access to markets and ease of recruiting staff.
Industry/Sector Trends
According to the REC (the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, which is the only association representing the UK recruitment industry), there has been a rise in temporary bookings, reaching a nine year high, highlighting the significant contribution that temporary workers make to the UK labour market. The recent intention to extend maternity leave from six to nine months is likely to encourage this growth, with temporary staff providing a valuable resource to businesses that wish to avoid putting staff under undue pressure while their colleagues are on leave.
With positive signs of growth in evidence within the call centre market, perceptions surrounding call centre work are clearly changing. Historically this market has been plagued by staff shortages, but the industry has matured and recognises that careers need to be supported. With clear progression opportunities, the calibre of candidates pursuing permanent positions has risen notably.
The role of migrant workers will continue to be crucial to address current skills shortages. Despite recent reports about the exploitation of migrant workers, the vast majority of migrant workers are able to access decent and well-paid jobs in the UK and are contributing to our dynamic UK labour market.
The REC reports that the number of administration and secretarial vacancies has risen significantly in the first four months of 2007. The core £15-£18K candidates are very much in high demand and the greater their IT ability and creativity, the higher the financial reward. This sector is busier than last year because of the consistency in the economy, which is creating good levels of confidence, and foreign investment in capital.
The July Report on Jobs produced by the REC finds that permanent staff placements increased at the fastest rate for over seven years. However, permanent staff availability deteriorated at its fastest rate in almost three years. This shows that permanent placements are growing faster than ever and this must act as a spur to government to further their skills strategy. The report revealed that permanent salaries continue to rise because of strong demand.
With the growth in the labour market population slowing down due to declining birth rates since the 1960s, it is increasingly important for employers to have attractive graduate recruitment programmes to find and retain the best candidates. The most successful programmes are those which are structured with several stages, enabling graduates to build a relationship with the organisations as undergraduates and increasing their commitment to joining and remaining with the company.
Looking Forward
Work and Families Bill
Many provisions of the new Work and Families Act (April 2007) have been welcomed by family friendly charities and organisations, but there is a concern amongst smaller employers that they will face greater difficulty in complying with the law. They have concerns about the financial burden of employees on parental leave, finding cover for them and satisfying flexible working arrangements.
Clearly there is a balancing act between family friendly legislation and the financial burden placed on employers in complying with the legislation. It is hoped that the new law will reduce employees trading down, or dropping out to achieve a better work-life balance, and will enable a more motivated, engaged and skilled workforce to meet commercial demands.
Mobile Working
The experience of employers who have introduced flexible working for all categories of staff, is that it tends to improve morale and commitment in the work place.
According to recent research by Microsoft, mobile working is on the rise and businesses need to sit up and take notice or risk losing out to companies who offer attractive flexi-working policies.
The research revealed that 76% of people consider the ability to work flexibly a deciding factor when choosing a job. While 52% of workers believe they would enjoy a less stressful working life as a benefit of working remotely.
Demand from UK employees to reappraise their working habits, coupled with the needs of British business to remain productive and competitive in global markets, has led to a focus on the issue of mobile working and how companies and employees can find the right balance.
Immigration System
The new points-based immigration system due to be phased in from 2008, will reduce red tape for employers taking on immigrant workers. Under the new system individuals will be graded into five categories. They range from tier one, consisting of highly skilled people such as scientists and entrepreneurs, to tier five, which includes youths and temporary workers. Points will be awarded to reflect aptitude, experience, age and also the level of need in a given sector. The system aims to attract the most talented workers into the UK and to manage immigration more effectively.
Our Promise
Although a strong economy has led to an increase in recruitment activity, 2007 continues to be a challenging year. As the level of demand for new staff this year is expected to be three times that of 2006, businesses will increasingly turn to recruitment agencies to source those top candidates.
The reality of the current market is that high quality candidates are in short supply and as a result they are asking for more than companies expect; employers are finding that more candidates are increasing their financial demands at offer stage, and declining job offers. Employers therefore need to speed up their recruitment processes.
With evidence of mounting wage pressures due to skill shortages and a tightening of the labour market, it is essential for employers to be reviewing where their key talent lies within their organisation and what strategies they have in place to enable them to retain these people in such a challenging marketplace. While people do move jobs for money, the key reasons why people typically change employment are lack of clear career development and dissatisfaction with their management. Employers should focus upon these areas.
Delaney Browne Appointments can help with all your recruiting challenges. We believe that our professional, empathic and caring attitude together with vast experience places us at the heart of matching people with people.
Our expertise ranges from management through to support levels across the following areas:
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| Reading: | 0118 959 2043 | recruit@delaneybrowne.co.uk |
| High Wycombe: | 01494 510 800 | all@delaneybrowne.co.uk |