(Adds details and background)
LONDON, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Employers in Britain have posted
the most job advertisements since the country went into its
coronavirus lockdown but there were some warning signals about
the economy's recovery prospects in the increase in demand for
workers.
Among the most sought-after staff in early August were
childminders, suggesting more people working from home heeded
the government's call for them to return to their workplaces,
the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) said.
Gardeners, construction workers and light goods vehicle
drivers were also high on the list of recruiters.
But debt collectors were in demand too, reflecting the
struggles faced by many households whose incomes have been hit,
the REC said.
"Many firms will face cash struggles in September and
October, so redundancies will be with us for months to come and
unemployment will rise. But a recovery is underway," Neil
Carberry, REC's chief executive, said.
"Construction sites have re-opened, logistics companies are
dealing with high demand, and with people spending more time at
home, many have been looking to spruce up their house and
gardens."
Total job postings rose by 126,000 between Aug. 3-9 to 1.10
million, REC said.
The previous high was the first week of June, when 112,000
new postings were made.
However the total number of job postings remained well below
the 1.35 million that were active in early March, before the
lockdown.
The Bank of England last week said it expected Britain's
unemployment rate would almost double to 7.5% by the end of 2020
after the government's job subsidy programme expires on Oct. 31.
Carberry said cutting employers' social security
contributions, better skills training and a post-Brexit trade
deal with the European Union would help protect jobs.
(Reporting by William Schomberg, editing by Estelle Shirbon and
David Milliken)