Employers in the UK are finding it harder to fill jobs after the steepest decline in candidate availability for 16 months, according to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC).
The REC report which compiled data from 400 recruitment companies shows Brexit influence on the jobs market as workers become more reluctant to move jobs and EU nationals less likely to relocate to the UK due to uncertainty over future immigration rules.
The REC's chief executive, Kevin Green, said: "Demand for staff is growing within all sectors and all regions of the UK, but there are fewer and fewer people available to fill the vacancies.
"One thing is for certain; if British business is to thrive then whichever party forms a government after 8 June needs to address the ever-shrinking pool of suitable candidates by investing in skills and career advice for UK jobseekers, as well as safeguarding access to the workers we need from abroad."
Engineering was the most in-demand category for permanent staff in April, closely followed by IT & Computing and Nursing/Medical/Care.
April data signalled a broad-based upturn in demand for temporary/contract workers in the UK. Nursing/Medical/Care continued to top the table, while Hotels & Catering placed second in the overall rankings.