The British Chambers of Commerce Insight Unit’s latest Quarterly Recruitment Outlook (QRO) reveals less than a quarter of firms increased their workforce in the final three months of 2024.
The survey shows 24% of responding businesses said they had increased their staffing numbers over the last three months, down from 27% in Q3. 60% said their workforce had remained constant and 16% reported a cut in staff.
The was a slight recovery in the number of firms attempting to recruit – 59% compared with 56% in Q3. For the firms who have attempted to hire over the last three months, 79% of respondents said they had experienced difficulties, up from 76% in Q3. That’s the highest level since Q2 2023.
Construction and engineering firms continue to struggle the most finding staff, with 83% reporting recruitment issues. Manufacturers are not far behind with 82% having difficulty, followed by 81% of businesses in the transport and logistics sector. At the other end of the scale, 69% of marketing and communications firms faced problems.
