A new study has revealed that recruitment levels over the next few months are expected to fall to their lowest for 15 years.
A leading employment agency says its poll of 2,100 UK firms revealed bosses planned to cut the number of staff they took on compared with last year.
It said managers would assess company performance in the first quarter of 2009, before changing staffing levels whilst employment prospects were weak in many major sectors, it concluded.
These included manufacturing, retail, construction and finance. However, public sector and utilities employers were among those planning to recruit new staff.
A spokesman for agency said eight out of 10 employers were taking a wait and see approach to recruitment.
With such uncertainty in the economy, recruitment industry experts are urging both candidates and recruiters to make the most of any job opportunities that do become available.
When a company takes on new staff they need to make sure their recruitment selection process is up to date and effective, ensuring they utilise good practice and personality testing in this process.
Meanwhile jobseekers need to make sure they stand out from the crowd by producing a professional CV and presenting themselves well at interview.
They should also familiarise themselves with the principle of psychometric testing as many firms are now adopting these techniques to select the most appropriate person for the job.