'Tense time' | 1 in 5 HR leaders report hiring freeze, while half eye-up layoffs

Amid the cooling employment market in the UK, a fifth of HR leaders in the UK have reported a hiring freeze, new research shows.

More than half (51%) say they have either undertaken or are considering layoffs this year, while almost two-thirds (65%) have considered redeployments as an alternative.

LHH, a leading integrated talent solutions provider and global business unit of the Adecco Group, unveiled the findings of its 2024 Outplacement and Career Mobility Trends Report. The report reveals that amid the cooling employment market in the UK, 51% of UK HR leaders had either undertaken or are considering layoffs in 2024.

The strain is also being felt by UK employees with 42% voicing concerns about being laid off, as a fifth (20%) of UK HR leaders reporting the highest incidence of a hiring freezes - followed by Canada (19%), the United States (14%), and Australia (12%).