Employer confidence rises for first time in two years – REC

Employer confidence has started to pick up, according to the latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) / Whitestone Insight JobsOutlook survey. 

The survey showed that confidence in the UK economy improved by 15 percentage points since last quarter, reaching net -20 for the period from April to June 2025. 

This followed a dip in Spring but continued a steady trend upwards over the last two years.

Confidence in making investment and hiring decisions rose by 12 percentage points since April, now at net +3 for the three months to June. 

This shift to positive figures was reflected in increased hiring intentions across all types of roles, with London seeing particularly strong activity.

Neil Carberry, CEO at REC, said: “Confidence is the key to growth in 2025, so it is good that businesses are beginning to shake off some concerns on investment and hiring that they have carried for almost three years. 

“Despite a Spring battering from the NICs rise, inflation and other policy costs, there is hope that businesses can step up their trading in the second half of the year. 

“Getting investment plans unblocked will turn firms from delayers of recruitment to hopeful hirers.”