“Things are not getting any worse - and I’m normally not an optimist.” That was veteran recruiter Robert Walters’ view on the jobs market today, as his eponymous jobs business saw its net fees grow 6% to £97.8 million in the half year to July, and pre-tax profit rose 19% to £3.7 million.
“I’m a realist after being in this game for 35 years, and I’ve seen the ups and downs through the past five years’ of various forms of recession, and the UK is performing well,” Walters added. “Confidence is growing - although it’s almost like no one wants to say it. Over recent years people have been staying in jobs for a year or two longer than they would otherwise have done, and people sticking to their jobs is the kiss of death for our industry. But it’s coming back. I feel quite good about the future.”
Walters said his offices in the regions in the UK - particularly Manchester, Birmingham, Guildford and Milton Keynes - were outperforming London, where the financial services are “still in the doldrums.”
Major job churn was being seen amongst financial controllers, management jobs, accountants, and lawyers, Walters said.
Net income rose across the recruiter’s regions, inching up 1% in Asia Pacific to £46.5 million, growing 12% to £26.7 million in the UK, and 5% in Europe to £20.9 million.
