Public sector employers upbeat on hiring ahead of May election
PUBLIC sector employers are increasingly upbeat on their hiring plans, according to a study from recruitment consultancy Manpower.
Despite sustained pressure on budgets because of the government’s plan to cut the budget deficit, the outlook for hiring intentions in the sector climbed to 12 per cent for the second quarter of 2015.
The index number is calculated by subtracting the percentage who expect to lay off staff from the proportion who are set to hire more. Such a strong public sector figure puts the index at twice the national employment outlook, which came in at six per cent.
“Our data may suggest that the public sector is front-loading its hiring in the run up to the General Election. Equally, staff shortages mean some organisations need to take on staff in order to maintain frontline services,” said Mark Cahill, ManpowerGroup’s UK managing director.
“Finally, as the public sector looks to streamline its services, we’re seeing a growing focus on digitisation, leading to an increase in hiring for new skills.”