Hiring in the UK declined again in May, with both permanent placements and temp billings falling, though the pace of contraction eased from April.

• Permanent staff appointments fell for the 20th straight month but at the softest pace since August 2023.
• Temporary billings also declined, though marginally, amid reduced client activity and caution around hiring.
• Candidate availability continued to rise, with the sharpest increase in permanent staff supply since December 2020, driven by redundancies.
• Pay growth remained positive: starting salaries rose at the strongest pace in four months, and temp pay rose for the 50th month in a row.
• Demand for workers slipped slightly overall, with vacancies falling in both permanent and temp categories for the first time since January.