Demand for workers drops

DEMAND for staff dipped last month, reversing a slow but steady rise in job opportunities since the start of the year.

Figures released yesterday showed "mixed signals" for the economy. Demand from employers for new workers fell in March, although it increased in some sectors including finance, insurance and marketing, said recruitment group Reed.

Sectors including engineering and manufacturing recorded a fall in demand for staff, it claims.

But the Department for Work and Pensions said: "The number of vacancies across the country rose to 480,000 – continuing a rising trend – and redundancies fell by 22,000."