SMEs need Autumn Budget certainty to maintain hiring momentum, says Employment Hero

SMEs need greater policy certainty from the Government to maintain recent employment momentum, according to Employment Hero.

The call follows the latest KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs, which pointed to an improvement in hiring conditions as the second half of 2026 began, with permanent staff appointments stabilising after a 45-month decline and temporary vacancies increasing for the first time in two years.

Kevin Fitzgerald, UK managing director at Employment Hero, said the improvement was positive but argued that supporting SMEs would be crucial to ensuring it develops into sustained employment growth.

He said: “An uptick in employment growth is positive news for businesses and it’s crucial that we now maintain that momentum through supporting SMEs to create employment opportunities.

“We’ve been seeing steady employment growth in SMEs over the past six months, as they respond and recover more quickly than larger businesses.”

Fitzgerald said: “Our data shows that there’s been positive employment growth across key industries such as Construction & Trade, Healthcare and Retail.

“We’re also seeing stronger performance in the regions, with the North of England recording faster employment and wage growth than the Capital. It’s clear there’s a strong community of SMEs willing to hire and power regional economies.”

With the Autumn Budget approaching, Fitzgerald called on the Government to provide greater certainty to businesses so that recent improvements in the labour market can provide a foundation for further hiring and growth.