Overview: The UK recruitment market faces challenges due to economic policies, migration barriers, and rising costs. Despite concerns, positives include increasing candidate availability.
Placement Summary: December 2024 saw a sharp decline in permanent staff placements and a continued drop in temporary billings. Demand for staff and vacancies fell, but permanent salaries increased, indicating companies are hiring fewer but higher-quality staff.
Availability and trends: Staff availability rose due to redundancies and lack of internal training. Most sectors saw a decline in vacancies, with the steepest in Executive, Professional Services, IT, Fashion, and Ecommerce. However, Blue Collar, Catering, and Hotels showed resilience.
Importance of Language Skills: Language skills are strategic assets for business growth, aiding in sales, marketing, and operations. They provide a competitive advantage and can boost the UK's export performance and employment opportunities. German, French, and Spanish are the top in-demand languages.
Conclusion: To progress in 2025, businesses should invest in smart hiring, training, and development. Specifically hiring bilingual staff to grow internationally and increase opportunities. For more information on this topic follow the link here.
Contact Language Matters for free advice on bilingual hiring in 2025 via 0207 930 1811.
Sam House
Director