UK small business owners: have your hiring practices changed recently?

We’d like to hear from UK small business owners who, in the past few months, have paused staff appointments

Hiring intentions among British businesses are at a record low, according to new research.

Experts suggest bosses are “stuck in limbo” and are waiting for greater clarity in the autumn budget, as they grapple with rising employment costs and worry about the economic outlook.

Only 57% of private sector employers plan to recruit staff in the next three months – down from 65% in autumn 2024, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The hospitality and care sectors, and other organisations that hire young people, have been hit the hardest by mounting employment costs, the CIPD said.