Recruitment was put on hold for Olympics

Business took a break from hiring for the Olympics as a "significant" recruitment slowdown hit the market for white-collar jobs, industry professionals said today.

The latest jobs data from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) revealed falling professional vacancies for both permanent and temporary staff in August. Permanent job vacancies were down 24 per cent on the same month last year, with temporary roles down 15 per cent, according to its latest snapshot of the market.

The latest jobs data covers professional workers in fields such as accountancy, law, banking, engineering, IT and marketing.

Ann Swain, chief executive, said: "This year, with the added distraction of the Olympics, some workplaces slowed almost to a standstill and businesses may have decided to put recruitment on temporary hold."