Research Highlights Business Plans To Boost Workforce

Almost half of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Yorkshire are planning to increase their workforce across the rest of this year, according to new figures.

Research from Yorkshire Bank has revealed that 46 per cent of SMEs in the region intend to recruit over the course of this year, with such businesses planning to grow their staff by 3.8 per cent.

According to the study, this could lead to the creation of somewhere in the region of 42,000 new jobs across the region. Around a third of Yorkshire SMEs added that they would be spending additional funds over existing budgets on new staff in 2014.

From a UK-wide perspective, the study found that small businesses with between 50 and 99 employees were the most likely to grow staff, with construction and manufacturing companies most likely to cite plans to create new jobs.

Alan Young, regional director for business and private banking at Yorkshire Bank, said the creation of new jobs in the Yorkshire region would “help boost productivity and competitiveness as well as strengthening the improving economic recovery”.

Expert Opinion

It is fantastic to see Yorkshire SMEs feeling very confident about their future prospects and looking to recruit to their existing workforces. <br/> <br/>"Taking on new staff can be an important step forward for small businesses, allowing them to bring in new talent and skills which can make all of the different as they look to develop their operations and take them to the next level. <br/> <br/>"We would urge SMEs to ensure they have the right support to hand when considering such steps, particularly when it comes to having employment law advice regarding recruitment processes and HR policies in place to ensure workers understand their responsibilities. <br/> <br/>"While larger organisations can have an internal resource for such matters, that is often a luxury smaller firms do not enjoy. Having the right help can make a huge difference." Steven Beahan - Partner