ONS Labour Data shows mixed outlook for professional and business services
Commenting on the latest ONS labour data, Tj Kearney, senior analyst in professional and business services at RSM UK, said: “The latest labour data presents a mixed outlook for professional and business services. Vacancies remained broadly stable in September, with firms filling targeted roles rather than pursuing broad workforce growth.
“The government’s proposed legislation to ease non-compete clauses in employment contracts could increase labour mobility and competition for senior talent within the sector. However, full details around the scope of the legislation are yet to be confirmed, with a careful balance to strike between addressing major barriers to hiring and ensuring the continued protection of commercially sensitive information.
“Growing AI adoption across the sector continues to drive concerns around disruption to entry-level and lower-paid roles in knowledge intensive services in the long-term. However, today’s figures suggest that broad AI-driven displacement is yet to hit the sector’s labour market.