Many UK businesses say that Brexit will not affect the number of people they hire, according to a new survey by Totaljobs.
Figures released in June from the Totaljobs Employment Index (TEI) have revealed that the number of jobs posted on the website is up 4 per cent showing UK employers are still actively hiring.
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John Salt, Group Sales Director, totaljobs, said: “The Referendum and Brexit vote has stirred up an amount of uncertainty among candidates and some employers. What we’re seeing is that jobseekers are now slightly more concerned about their ability to find or keep a job.
“Nevertheless, what we’ve also found is that this uncertainty is not matched on the same scale by businesses, who in general remain pretty confident of their ability to attract and retain staff.
“This business confidence is certainly backed up by our data from our Totaljobs Employment Index report, with job postings on totaljobs up month-on-month, quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year showing businesses are still eager to keep on hiring.
“Despite this confidence, it’s important that the Government does all it can to steady the ship and push forward a business-as-usual agenda in these uncertain times. Some responsibility must also fall on employers, who we’d urge to talk to their employees and update them as best they can.
“This can be as simple as a conversation about the impact of Brexit on the company or its plans for hiring. Adopting a proactive approach will reassure employees, helping them to stay productive, engaged and loyal to the company.”
However, despite this, almost half (48 per cent) of UK jobseekers are more concerned about finding a job now than before the EU Referendum.
The research was conducted by totaljobs in July 2016 following the EU Referendum, and surveyed both employers and candidates. It reveals that 44 per cent of all candidates believe there will be more competition for jobs following the EU Referendum, while 28 per cent say that Brexit has already had an impact on their job search.
Nearly a fifth (19 per cent) have become less selective about the jobs they apply for, compared with 16 per cent who are now more selective. Of those currently employed, 34 per cent are worried about their job security as a result of Brexit, while half (52 per cent) are not concerned.
Unfortunately, many employers have not yet taken steps to ease employees’ concerns about Brexit. In fact, almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of employees say they have not been spoken to by their employer about the impact of Brexit.
It does seem however that employers are much more confident about the economic outlook than candidates. Nearly half (44 per cent) of businesses said that Brexit would not affect the number of people they hire, compared to a quarter (23 per cent) who said they are likely to hire less.
While almost a third (30 per cent) stated that they had already noticed the impact of Brexit on their business, the majority of employers said that they would not delay hiring for roles (54 per cent) and that it is unlikely that they will have to let people go (61 per cent) due to Brexit.
Most employers don’t think that Brexit will have an effect on their ability to attract and retain the best talent (61 per cent). When asked for their views on a number of post-Brexit scenarios, the vast majority do not think there will be a recruitment freeze (65 per cent) or a salary freeze (78 per cent) — good news for jobseekers and the economy generally.
Looking slightly wider, only 21 per cent of businesses say they are now less likely to hire EU nationals than before Brexit, and 21 per cent think that Brexit will have no effect at all on their businesses.
