Looking forward to 2014, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called on businesses and employers to support the development of their staff during a time of economic growth. CBI director-general John Cridland said the recovery is "taking root", meaning company leaders "have a spring in their step" compared to this time last year. However, he also stressed that this is "no time to rest on our laurels", urging organisations to tailor their workforce management efforts to help employees move up the career ladder. According to the CBI, one of the biggest challenges facing businesses as the financial situation improves is to deliver growth that leads to better pay and opportunities for all workers, following a "prolonged squeeze" on remuneration and benefits. Data from the Office for National Statistics suggests that the majority of new jobs being created in the UK are permanent. However, Mr Cridland stressed that flexibility in working practices has become a key part of British employment. "It's important to remember that our flexible labour market has worked to save jobs and keep our economy going through a long, drawn-out downturn," he said. "Those who propose to damage that flexibility with inappropriate regulation put the very system that has kept unemployment here far lower than elsewhere at risk." In a recent CBI survey of London businesses, seven out of ten (70 per cent) respondents said they will only hire where essential next year, while 20 per cent will be freezing recruitment altogether. The proportion of companies resorting to redundancies increased to 33 per cent from 21 per cent in the previous quarter. More than a quarter (28 per cent) of organisations said they will offer a general pay rise in line with the retail price index measure of inflation next year, while a slightly lower proportion (24 per cent) were planning a targeted increase for certain employees.