Britain’s jobs market lost momentum in April after recruiters turned more cautious about hiring as the ​Iran war heightened cost pressures, an industry survey ‌showed on Monday.

The monthly Report on Jobs from accountants KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, a trade body, showed permanent job ​placements fell at the fastest pace since January, ​before the US-Israeli war on Iran began. Employers ⁠said in March that the jobs downturn had shown ​signs of abating.

“The small signs of recovery in the jobs ​market may have been disrupted in April by the uncertainty stemming from the conflict in Iran,” said Jon Holt, KPMG’s group chief ​executive.

REC and KPMG also said that permanent staff placements fell to ​47.5 in April, down from 49.2 in March

Temporary staff hiring rose ‌to ⁠50.4 from 48.4 as firms opted for short-term staff due to uncertainty about the Iran war

The availability of candidates for permanent roles rose slightly faster than that of those ​seeking temporary ​roles

Moreover, vacancies fell ⁠for the 30th month in a row, but at the slowest pace in 11 months

The ​survey was based on responses from a ​panel ⁠of around 400 recruitment agencies between April 9 and April 24

A separate survey from accountants BDO showed firms were cautious ⁠about ​hiring, with an employment index, which ​reflects trends in hiring intentions and demand, falling to its lowest level ​in 15 years.