Ambitious plans by firms to hire staff could be hampered by the continued uncertainty over Brexit, a new study suggests.
Research by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) indicated that hiring intentions have remained positive in recent months.
But the survey of 600 recruitment firms showed that confidence is falling, even though demand for permanent staff increased in the quarter to August.
REC chief executive Neil Carberry said: "Today's figures emphasise why businesses are so frustrated at the lack of a smooth and stable resolution of the Brexit debate.
"There is growth to pursue and there are jobs to create - businesses believe in themselves and are ready to go, but the unstable economic outlook continues to put a dampener on their ambitions.
"Attracting workers to the UK to fill critical shortages and making sure they feel welcome, speeding investment decisions that create jobs, and investing in skills development for all workers are critical to our future success. It's time to get back onto this agenda."
Half of the employers polled expressed concern about the availability of candidates for jobs, especially in health and social care, engineering and construction.
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