Job prospects in Britain have fallen to their lowest level for almost a decade as the credit crunch forces employers to cut costs and freeze recruitment. A new survey of more than 55,000 businesses claims that companies' intentions to hire during the final quarter of this year are the weakest since the beginning of 1999. The findings, from a poll conducted by Manpower, the recruitment company, will alarm economists and trigger fresh fears of widespread redundancies in the run up to Christmas. Official figures last month showed that the number of people out of work and claiming benefits rose in July by the largest amount since 1992. Manpower said that employees in the retail, construction and finance and business services sectors were most exposed to the tougher economic climate.
The Times