UK jobs boom is petering out, claims employers' survey

Manpower poll shows hiring staff is flatlining in London and depicts firms as the least confident for five years about taking on new workers

Britain's employers are the most pessimistic about hiring staff than at any time in five years, underscoring fears over the number of new jobs available as the country prepares to leave the EU.

A poll of 2,102 employers across nine different industry sectors found a net balance of just 4% were planning to increase staff levels rather than make cuts in the final months of the year.

Related: UK employment falls for first time since aftermath of Brexit vote

Productivity is an economic measure of the efficiency of a workforce. It typically measures the level of output per hour of work, or per worker.