CIPD and KPMG highlights fall in demand for staff

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), in partnership with KPMG, has identified a new low in the levels of demand for staff.

According to the findings of both organisation's Labour Market Outlook survey, staff demand levels among UK-based employers has reached a low not seen for four years.

"Conditions in the UK labour market are clearly softer than six months ago and softer than at this time of year for several years," said John Philpott, chief economist at the CIPD, an organisation with a history going back to 2000.

"[However,] net hiring - recruitment minus redundancies - remains strongly positive."

Nevertheless, Mr Philpott noted that the continued strength of net hiring suggested that, although the UK's labour market is currently experiencing a slow period, it was not close to collapse.

The findings of the survey were based upon the responses of 735 employers.