The number of employers expecting to increase staff numbers in the next three months has fallen to a record low outside of the pandemic, according to research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

One in four employers plan to make redundancies in the next three months, the report added.

A survey of 2,000 businesses found issues such as rising employment costs and growing global uncertainties.

The CIPD said the rate of employers expecting to increase headcount has fallen sharply among large private sector employers and in retail in particular.