Employers increasingly opting for temporary staff

Employers are increasingly looking for temporary employees instead of permanent ones, it has been revealed.

According to the findings of a report by KPMG and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), the number of temporary employees is continuing to rise in the face of only small increases in the number of permanent staff, reports Personnel Today.

Staffing level demands are at their weakest level in the IT, computing and finance-orientated sectors, according to Alan Nolan, director of KPMG.

"No matter what sector, employers are becoming increasingly cautious about the outlook," said Mr Nolan.

"Demand for staff is slowing and employers are hedging their bets with more emphasis on temporary hires, while pay pressures are easing somewhat."

Entitled the Report on Jobs, the publication has also revealed that staff demand levels have risen at a rate not seen for more than four years.

The REC has a history going back to 2000.