Commenting on the latest ONS Labour Market statistics released today, Gerwyn Davies, Labour Market Adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), comments: “Employers have continued to focus on keeping labour costs down and a combination of pay restraint and a higher proportion of part-time and temporary work has enabled them to take on more staff.  Of particular note this month is the disproportionately large increase in part-time employment.  Almost half of the employment increase is due to part-time employment, and almost all of this increase is accounted for by women.”

“Despite the positive headline figures, the high proportions of part-time and temporary work suggest that many employers remain cautious about adding to their long-term cost base.  Business confidence has improved in recent months but is still fragile.  So while we may see further short-term increases in employment – as indicated in CIPD’s Labour Market Outlook – it may be some time before this translates into the permanent positions that most job-seekers prefer.”