Partner and head of business services at KPMG Management Consulting, Bernard Brown, said: "Another month of relatively good news for job-hunters is welcome amidst ongoing predictions of tougher economic times."
He added: "With little change to this outlook expected over the next few months, employers could be forgiven for delaying recruitment decisions, but the signs are there to suggest that they are gradually regaining confidence and recruiting for long-term growth."
With employment figures being attributed to the Olympic factor, the next quarter's figures may prove more interesting reading, as some still point to a weak economy. Brown said: "The good news appears to be geographically biased, with firms in the Midlands far more likely to recruit than in London. Employment may be moving in the right direction, but it remains to be seen whether the trends being set in one part of the country are being matched elsewhere."
Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) CEO, Kevin Green wasn't optimistic about the figures: "With a million young people out of work and the figures likely to get worse before they get better, youth unemployment has to be a priority for the new employment minister, Mark Hoban MP.
"The Government needs to do more to improve careers advice to help graduates and school leavers get on the first rung of the career ladder."
Where a lot of stories from these results focused on youth employment benefitting from this rise, the picture for people over 50 is a mixed one. Even though the number of unemployed people aged 50 increased by 33,000, this is a smaller increase than in previous months. Chris Ball, chief executive of The Age and Employment Network (TAEN) said: "Employment growth for 50+ can at best be described as sluggish."
He added: "While we welcome the increase in people aged 50 and over in employment, it's important to point out that long-term unemployment is disproportionately affecting older people."
So as the UK economy moves towards the end of the year, it remains to be seen whether the rise in employment will continue or is just something else we can attribute to the Olympic factor.
