Matt Weston, Managing Director of Robert Half UK, comments on today’s ONS Labour Market Overview:

“With the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown now revealed and the national vaccine programme continuing at speed, there are reasons to be optimistic about the UK’s business prospects.

“Recent Robert Half research found that job postings for remote roles increased by 190% since the start of the pandemic, highlighting the successful transition to working from home for many businesses. Moreover, 89% of UK employers believe that hybrid working – a mix of remote and office-based work – is undoubtedly here to stay, pointing to the ongoing versatility of much of the labour market over the longer term.

“With this permanent shift in professional life, there are opportunities ahead for employers to benefit from a far wider talent pool, while employees will maintain flexibility and an improved work-life balance. However for both businesses and employees to truly thrive in this environment, technical proficiencies must be accompanied by people-focused expertise, to form new hybrid skill blends.

“Our research also revealed that four in five C-suite leaders are confident about their growth prospects for the first half of this year, while a quarter plan to actively recruit in the coming months. The sectors currently driving demand for talent in the UK economy are manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceuticals, financial services and IT services.”

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