UK job vacancies grew at their fastest rate for 20 months in December, according to a survey sponsored by auditing firm KPMG. But public worries about the state of the economy and its potential effect on job security have conspired to drive down the availability of permanent staff. The findings suggest that employers are becoming stretched, with workers unwilling to bail out on their current jobs and risk the prospect of soldiering on through probationary periods while the country remains in financial difficulties.

Another finding from KPMG’s monthly Report on Jobs showed that, although wage rises have stepped up of late, pay overall remains subdued. This indicates that workers are perhaps wise to stay in their current roles, as it is far from guaranteed that they will reap financial benefits from switching jobs. Meanwhile, the availability of contract or temping staff in December was unchanged from the previous month, ending a 56-month-long run of growth.

Reflecting on the findings, KPMG partner and head of business services Bernard Brown said: “It’s concerning to see the pace of recruitment slowing. Job placements may still be moving in the right direction but questions must now be asked about whether the declining rate of growth is indicative of a longer-term problem.”

That problem, he said, could be that individuals are “showing signs that they’d rather stick with what they know, as the numbers making themselves available for permanent roles has dropped for the first time since April 2012″.

However, Brown added, the mood in the employment landscape is not entirely negative. “With some areas of the country outperforming others and the private sector seeing more job placements in December, the hope must be that employers will handle this latest setback,” he said. “They certainly reacted positively to news that a fiscal cliff was avoided in the US and, if this is anything to go by, we should see the trend for rising employment continue. It may be slower than in the last few months of 2012, but growth should still be welcomed.”