The UK’s jobs market bounced back in August after a rise in full-time jobs that made up some of the ground lost in June and July.
The report by Markit and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) also identified a wages increase after employers said they were experiencing skill shortages and had placed more senior-level staff into jobs.
Anecdotal evidence suggested some employers had decided to proceed with job hires that were suspended in the run-up to the EU referendum, the report said.
Starting salaries also improved, with employers needing to offer more to attract candidates reluctant to move jobs in the current climate.
But the REC chief executive, Kevin Green, said: “It is still too early to make conclusions about what impact the vote to leave the EU will have on the jobs market. For example, the fact that vacancy growth has softened is concerning, suggesting that hiring could be volatile over the coming months.”
The most recent official figures showed the unemployment rate in the three months to the end of June was unchanged at 4.9%. Average weekly earnings excluding bonuses rose 2.3% over the same period, up from 2.2%.
The report said there was an increase in permanent placements across all regions apart from London, where the pace of decline eased markedly.
The strongest growth of vacancies was recorded for temporary workers in the private sector. Demand for public sector permanent staff declined.
Workers seeking full-time positions in the nursing, medical and care sector remained the most sought-after, slightly ahead of engineering. Construction was the only sector where a decline in demand was reported.
