A survey carried out by the Small Firms Association has found that while the pace of job losses in its member companies has slowed, the prospects for creating new jobs remain weak.
Of the 622 companies questioned, 60% said employee numbers had been maintained at the same level in the last three months, while 29% had reduced their workforce. Just under a quarter of companies expected further job losses in the next three months.
50% of firms said they would implement a freeze on recruitment in the next three months, up from 47% in the same survey three months ago. SFA director Avine McNally described this figure as worrying. 'The reluctance to recruit is based on a number of issues, mainly economic and financial uncertainty,' she said.
The prospects for next year appear more positive, however, with 60% of firms expecting their workforce to stay at the same level and 19% expecting to hire more workers. 37% of companies also said they were planning some sort of training for their staff in the next three months.
