NORTHERN Ireland could be on the brink of an employment crisis, as fewer business plan to take on new staff.
Recruitment agency Manpower said the jobs market in the north was surring a "post-Brexit confidence crisis".
Following its latest survey on the hiring intentions of thousands of businesses, Manpower found Northern Ireland to have jointly the most negative outlook.
Indeed, Yorkshire & Humberside was the only other region which reported negative jobs prospects.
The report is considered a key barometer on the state of the employment market and that data is used by the Bank of England and the government.
Manpower said Northern Ireland's outlook would have been even worse had it not been for positivity in the finance sector and housing market.
The post-referendum slump saw the north's outlook drop to -2 per cent after almost reaching the UK average of 4 per cent in the previous quarter.
Manpower operations manager Amanda White said the Brexit vote had impacted the confidence of both clients and candidates.
"In the first few weeks after the referendum, we saw a decline in permanent roles, which is always a sign of caution in the market," she said.
"This has started to reverse in recent weeks and there are indications that employers might be regaining confidence by recruiting on a permanent basis.”
But Ms White said it wasn't all bad news in Northern Ireland.
“While overall the region’s job prospects have taken a hit, we are seeing more optimism in the finance sector, where in-demand roles range from bankers and auditors to financial planners," she said.
"Financial services company Tullet Prebon recently announced that it is to create 300 new jobs in Belfast over the next three years and the growth of EY and Pearson in the area has also provided a number of available finance roles.
"We’ve also seen a notable rise in mortgage advisers, as house prices and applications for mortgages have risen substantially.
"Belfast and Derry generally see more demand for positions in the finance sector, but the Business Process Outsourcing, or BPO, market is growing outside of the cities, as more and more businesses are springing up in the suburbs and beyond.”
The UK-wide net employment outlook has remained at +5 per cent for the final three months of the year, defying predictions that the vote for Brexit would trigger an immediate slump in recruitment plans
However, Manpower is warning that this could be the calm before the storm.
Conducted in the weeks following the referendum, the survey shows that while UK job prospects have held firm, cracks in the ice are appearing with six out of nine sectors surveyed reporting a fall in jobs optimism.
Manpower's managing director in the UK Mark Cahill added: “After the initial shock of Brexit, we’re entering a new phase of prolonged economic uncertainty. The future of freedom of movement across the EU is of particular concern.
"As UK businesses are reliant on European talent to help fill the skills gap, we urge the government to prioritise maintaining the free movement of people across the EU during its negotiations.
"This would make sure the UK remains competitive, while sending a powerful message to skilled jobseekers– Britain remains open for business.”
