The overall demand for staff remained subdued in July as a result of a weaker economic climate and reduced market confidence, with permanent placements contracting at the quickest rate for just over three years, shows latest KPMG and REC jobs report.

But the overall availability of staff rose significantly amid the slowdown in recruitment and reports of redundancies.

The latest upturn in total labour supply was the steepest recorded since October 2009, excluding the pandemic period.