Many of the country's employers still appear to be shying away from recruitment, as they aim to get their operations in order after the recession, an expert suggests.
According to Newton's director and co-founder Andrew Hawes, businesses are keen to improve their position before taking on any new staff.
He stated: "A lot of these businesses are going to get themselves into a shape where they can start recruiting, but it is not yet at a point where that has become the focus."
Meanwhile, Mr Hawes also discussed the tough measures that a number of firms were forced to take last year because of the economic environment.
The likes of recruitment freezes and job losses were necessary actions that organisations had to consider at the time, he suggests.
UK contractors looking for new work opportunities may also be interested to note that in the recent Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, only seven per cent of the firms polled in the study think they will see a larger headcount in the year's third quarter.
Posted by Jon Cummins.