English firms hiring at fastest speed in more than a decade
Every region of the UK saw solid growth in June, according to a major survey of companies across the country, while English firms are hiring at their fastest pace in at least 13 years.
Lloyds’ latest regional purchasing managers’ index (PMI) suggests that the robust expansion continued last month, with a score of 58 for the whole country and a reading of 58.5 for the English regions alone. Though both dropped from May’s level, any score above 50 indicates growth.
Businesses reported the strongest job creation since at least 2001 when the survey began. The figures suggest that the rapid fall in unemployment, which began last year, has not yet slowed.
This month, the fastest-growing region was the north east of England, at 64.8. The reading was also the strongest that has ever been recorded for the north east.
Though some surveys last year showed that the south east of England and London were leading the recovery, surveys have since suggested that the recovery is more widespread.