Permanent staff vacancies rose at their slowest pace in six months and short-term vacancies increased at their weakest rate since November 2010 according to the latest figures from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation for June.
There are some signs that employers' confidence about the pace of economic recovery is beginning to wane slightly when compared to their level of optimism reported in the first half of 2011.
A Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply spokesman commented that the scope for the private sector to make up for public sector layoffs still looks limited, suggesting that unemployment could stay stubbornly high for some time.