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"There is no immediate sign of U.K. labour-market conditions improving"
- Gerwyn Davies, public-policy adviser at CIPD
An index measuring hiring intentions amid U.K. employers worsened to minus 3 in the fourth quarter from minus 1 in the previous three months, said Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
"The figures point to a slow, painful contraction in the jobs market," with some employers reacting to "increasing uncertainty as a result of the euro-zone crisis and wider global economic turmoil," said Gerwyn Davies, public-policy adviser at CIPD.
"Recruitment intentions are falling, which will make further rises in unemployment therefore seem inevitable given that public sector job losses are outpacing the predictions made by the Office for Budget Responsibility."
"There is no immediate sign of U.K. labour-market conditions improving in the short or medium term."