Marketing companies and agencies may have been dreading this month’s rise in National Insurance Contributions but hiring activity is already showing signs of improvement, with placement figures up month-on-month.
According to the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), latest Hiring Trends analysis – produced in conjunction with Bullhorn – permanent placements were up 12% and contract 11% month-on-month in March, following a slight increase in Febraury, which will translate into promising figures for the start of Q2.
APSCo UK managing director Samantha Hurley commented: “This latest uptick is promising news for the staffing sector and follows further signs of optimism reported last month.
“It is indicative of more confidence in the labour market, particularly in the month before the NIC increases come into force. Our hope is that this translates into further positivity throughout the coming months once the initial impact of NICs is out of the way and employers are able to plan for growth once again.”
Bullhorn senior vice president of sales, EMEA and APAC, Andy Ingham added: “The March data is encouraging, specifically the month-over-month boost in permanent and contract placements in the UK.
“This data mirrors an upswing of growth and stabilisation documented in March 2020, pre-pandemic. The market should keep a cautiously optimistic eye on this data in the months ahead.”
Last month’s Hiring Trends analysis revealed a 28% increase in contract job postings year-on-year in February. The move followed a significant rise at the tail end of 2024.
The uptick in freelance hiring suggests that demand for skills persists, with demand for freelancers continuing to rise.
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