By Richard Johnstone | 10 September 2013
A recruitment drive in the NHS ahead of the coming winter is set to provide a boost to public sector employment in the fourth quarter of this year, a survey of hiring intentions has found.
The poll by recruiters Manpower found that public sector employers are positive about the employment outlook, with more of those surveyed expecting to hire more staff than expecting a workforce contraction over the three-month period.
Nick Heckscher, Manpower’s sector director for government, said the bullish data reflected the fact that the fourth quarter of the year was always the busiest time for public sector recruitment.
‘Take our hospitals: planning for winter flu bugs, accidents caused by ice and the impact of the colder weather means a need for more staff on all fronts, both clinical and non-clinical,’ he said.
‘The positive outlook for job creation we are seeing in the fourth quarter is as expected.’
He highlighted that the positive hiring intentions in the public sector followed a period of extensive job cuts, and indicated ‘a sense of normality and perspective’ was returning. However, he warned the overall trend was likely to be downwards.
‘One thing we are seeing is more demand for front-line rather than back-office staff, so this is good news for nurses, social carers and teachers who are looking for new roles. However, there is an overall downward trend which will most likely mean more downsizing.’
The poll comes after the Institute for Government warned last month the rate of staff cuts being made across Whitehall will need to increase if the government is to meet its target for headcount reductions by 2015.
