28/09/2011

Legal recruitment market steady

A rise in unemployment to 2.51 million is of course a blow, swelled no doubt by school leavers, public sector cuts and another economic slowdown, and with the UK’s service sector being the hardest hit, is it all bad news for the legal market?

Not completely! July and August were fairly slow, as you would expect during the holiday season (and the knock on effect of the riots everywhere else in the country), and whilst employers are unsurprisingly cautious, the market is picking up with posts at all levels and in a wide range of disciplines opening up. Candidate flow is still steady, with some high quality candidates about, but they are sure to get snapped up quickly as the market continues to improve.

Also, despite the implementation of the Agency Worker Regulations only a few days away, this flexible resource still seems vital to businesses and so the temporary market is fairly buoyant. We will have a better idea of the actual effect towards Christmas when the 12 week point – at which temporary workers become entitled to enhanced rights – is reached

The legal sector has certainly ridden a rollercoaster over the last few years, what with professional indemnity insurance increases, the property slump, ‘Tesco Law’ and confirmed cuts in legal aid, and the ride isn’t over yet; civil litigation reforms and the proposed outlawing of referral fees will make it even bumpier.

Robert Addy of CRA Legal says “Changes so far have had a huge effect on recruitment practices – in particular firms are seeking candidates with a wide range of skills which include those outside the traditional legal skill set. We can only wait and see what the outcome of the next round of changes will be, but I am confident that the legal sector will continue to find new strength and rally, whatever the circumstances.”

Robert can be contacted at CRA Legal on 0114 241 8030 or at robert.addy@craconsultants.com www.craconsultants.com