Permanent work places 'still hard to come by'

Permanent job positions are much harder to come by than employment figures have suggested, according to one expert.

John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said that the impact of the recession on the jobs market was not as great as feared, but permanent placements are still hard to come by and are being hotly contest by able candidates.

"This is likely to have a much greater impact on perceptions of job security and consumer confidence during the recovery than the simple 'unemployment situation is better than feared' story of the moment would suggest," he said.

Mr Philpott also pointed to recent figures released by the CIPD, which showed that two-thirds of people made redundant during the recession were paid less after finding a new job.

Data published by the Office for National Statistics has revealed that the number of unemployed people fell by 7,000 from September to November 2009 and now stands at 2.46 million.

Posted by Lesley-Anne Hornbogen