Staff across the Midlands are optimistic about their job prospects, but employers are concerned about access to skills and pay expectations. That’s according to the latest data from international recruitment expert, Robert Half.

In a new study – carried out by insight agency Opinium between 4th February and 7th February 2025 – the firm revealed that almost half (48%) of workers across the Midlands are confident about their job security in the next six months. According to Robert Half, this optimism is being driven by on-going skills shortages, which are putting the power back into the hands of workers.

Robert Half’s recent Hiring Intentions survey revealed that 79% of businesses across the region are anxious about finding talent quickly when they need it and 70% are worried about addressing skills gaps. A further 65% revealed that they have concerns around meeting the salary expectations of the workforce.

James Paget, Market Director, Midlands & Home Counties, at Robert Half commented:

“With the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds revealing increased company confidence in the West Midlands in January, it's not a surprise that workers are feeling optimistic too. Strong demand for talent in the professional services sector is reinforcing this confidence, despite mixed economic signals."

“Nonetheless, employers across the entire region are clearly concerned about access to core skills – and workers are seemingly aware of this. Indeed, when asked for the main reasons of feeling confident in their job security over the next six months, 45% of employees stated that it was because of their skills and performance. Firms are going to have to work much harder to find, attract and retain the best people in the months ahead, particularly where pay expectations can’t be met. With budgets still tight for some businesses, a more strategic approach to recruitment that better taps into the added benefits a company can offer will be needed.”