The number of job adverts continues to rise, according to a study. It shows companies are "eager" to hire new staff.
In the week to May 1, there were 1.8 million vacancies advertised - around 15% more than the same period last month, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) found. The REC said there were notable increases in job adverts for accountants, financial managers and directors.
The REC said the number of new jobs has stabilised since the beginning of the year, adding that employers were struggling to attract staff. REC chief executive Neil Carberry said: "The data continues to show that employers across the UK are eager to hire new staff into their businesses.
"The number of new job postings has remained relatively stable for the past few weeks, despite concern about rising inflation." John Gray, from research firm Emsi Burning Glass, which helped with the study, added: "The downturn in new postings suggests that employers are being more cautious than they were at the start of the year, which may be a reflection of the renewed economic uncertainty.
"The fact that the number of active positions continues to grow suggests they are still keeping positions open, but are finding it hard to fill them, which reflects the very tight labour market we saw emerging in the post-Covid economy in late 2021."