Chief financial officers in the UK are feeling less confident about the economy according to Robert Half.
They recently ran a survey that found that only 22% felt more confident about their company’s prospects. This is a drop of 25 points on the beginning of the year. 12% expect to increase their headcount in the second half of the year, whilst 68% expect it to remain the same with no further recruitment.
The survey results show promising prospects for contractors working in the accounting sector. 10% of CFOs intend to increase their use of temps, whilst 71% plan to continue using the same amount as at present.
24% of employers said they use temporary workers because they are cost effective and another 22% said they provide skilled cover for a key open position.
But, a third of the CFOs surveyed believe that the coalition government will have a negative effect on the accounting and finance professions.
The managing director of Robert Half, Phil Sheridan, said that although the job market is recovering, employers are still cautious.
Audit and compliance staff appear to be in short supply and those with relevant experience have a golden opportunity to take advantage of the ever increasing regulatory landscape in the UK business sector.
The survey also found that the technology and telecoms sectors were expected to see the most growth over the next six months.
Job prospects in the City are definitely on the up. Employment vacancies increased by a year-on-year 82% in May this year bringing the total to slightly over 5,700. Whilst this is good news for financial professionals, some people are getting increasingly angry that the banking sector has recovered so quickly after the government bailouts during the recession.
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