Hiring in the UK contracted again in April, but at the softest pace in seven months, with declines in both permanent placements and temp billings.

• Candidate availability rose sharply, the second-fastest rate since December 2020, driven by redundancies and restructuring.
• Demand for staff continued to weaken, marking the 18th consecutive month of falling vacancies.
• Temp wage growth reached an 11-month high, supported by increases in the national minimum and living wage.
• Starting salaries rose solidly, but overall pay growth remained below long-run averages.
• April’s data pointed to weaker employer confidence and tighter hiring budgets as key drivers of the slowdown.