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Eiddis helps Fall in driving jobs FEWER HAULIERS are hiring
Page 13
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new drivers despite the driver shortage, according to a survey by recruitment specialisi Manpower.
In a survey of 1,800 UK employers, Manpower found that although 19% of hauliers are planning to take on more drivers, 15% are planning lay-offs. The difference between these two figures, 4%, is 804 down on both the previous quarter and ihe same time last year.
Even so, the 19% of hauliers planning to recruit drivers is still higher than the 15% figure for all businesses, although lower than finance (27%) and utilities (26%).
Simon Edwards, head of Manpower Driving, says the dip in demand for drivers may be because hauliers hired drivers earlier in the year to anticipate their needs this summer.
He adds: It is too early to tell if this is a blip or part of a longerterm clip."
Regionally, employers in the South-West of England and Northern Ireland are the most bullish on hiring drivers in ihe next quarter, with 28% and 25% more firms respectively taking on staff than laying them off. Hauliers in Yorkshire, Hum berside, the South East and Scotland all predict hiring intentions below the naiional average. The least optimistic of all hauliers were in I .ondon,where the difference between those intending to hire and those intending to make cutbacks was just 1 % in favour of those recruiting.
The Manpower figures are compatible with the latest Freight Transport Association figures on the driver shortage, which suggest that slightly fewer hauliers are finding it hard in recruit (25%) than last year (27%).