Permanent job growth slows again in July

 The number of people placed in permanent jobs in Britain fell for the second straight month in July, as the summer lull was compounded by economic uncertainty and the distraction of the London Olympics, a survey showed on Wednesday.

The labour market has so far been surprisingly resilient, with the number of unemployed falling between March and May despite an economy in recession.

"The UK's labour market deserves a gold medal for its incredible performance in the face of adversity so far this year," said Kevin Green, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, which represents recruitment agencies.

The REC's index measuring the change in the number of permanent staff placements compared with a month ago came in at 47.3 last month from 46.8 in June, with readings below 50 indicating decline.

London saw the steepest fall in hiring, and there were reports that some companies had decided to postpone recruitment until after the Olympics, the REC said.

Bernard Brown, head of business services at accountants KPMG who co-sponsor the survey, said it was likely that the "Olympic effect" was combining with the traditionally quiet summer period for job hunters. - Reuters

(Reporting by Olesya Dmitracova; editing by Ron Askew)